Washington DC - President Donald Trump and his administration are reportedly considering launching military action in the West African country of Mali.

According to The Washington Post, the administration has been discussing options to target Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an al-Qaeda-affiliated militant group that has established a stronghold in Mali and increasingly launched attacks on coastal nations in the region.

In recent years, Mali has been plagued by violence by Islamist militant groups. The country's junta government attempted to hire Russian mercenaries to handle the problem, but those mercenaries have since been blamed for a series of atrocities.

Last year, JNIM mounted a fuel blockade that paralyzed much of Mali and launched nationwide attacks, seizing key regions from Russian forces and killing officials.

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The US getting entangled in the conflict now runs the risk of creating tensions with Russian forces and competing militant groups in the region. When reached for comment, a White House official refused to confirm the reporting, but did describe terrorism in the region as a "multinational problem."

The official also revealed the US has been urging governments in North and West Africa "to purchase US equipment and services to support their war efforts against the terrorists."

The Post notes that if the administration moves forward with the plans, it would become the eighth nation Trump has launched strikes against since taking office for his second term, despite running on a campaign promise of "no new wars."