Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin formed in 2017 as a coalition of five different jihadist groups which had been fighting the Malian government since the outbreak of the Mali War in 2012.

[3] At the time of the attack, the base was manned by gendarmes, national guard forces and Malian soldiers.

[7] This was later corroborated by the Malian army, which released a statement stating fourteen soldiers were killed and eighteen were injured.

[8][3] JNIM claimed responsibility for the attack on January 29, alleging to have captured six vehicles and losing four soldiers.

[9] A United Nations report from August 8, 2018, accused Alkassoum Ag Abdoulaye, the chief of staff for the Tuareg militant group Coalition of the People of Azawad, in participating in planning and executing the attack in collaboration with JNIM.