Mali Rebels Ambush Army Convoy in North, Killing or Capturing Scores of Soldiers

BAMAKO, Mali — Jihadi militants and a separatist group ambushed a Malian army convoy in the country’s volatile north on Saturday, leaving scores of soldiers dead or captured, the rebels reported.

The Malian army confirmed the attack in a statement, acknowledging that armed groups targeted a convoy of soldiers and their partners in a remote area of the northern Gao region. The military provided no casualty figures, stating only that a counterattack was underway.

The al-Qaida affiliate Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) and the separatist Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) each claimed responsibility in separate statements, citing “great human losses” and “serious material damage” inflicted on Malian forces.

The cooperation between the two groups marks the latest escalation in a partnership that analysts warn poses a severe threat to Mali’s stability and its ruling junta.

“There were many soldiers killed, others captured alive. Army vehicles, including armored cars, were destroyed and others seized in good condition,” said FLA spokesperson Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane.

The rebels circulated videos purporting to show soldiers surrendering while surrounded by militants, as well as military vehicles in rebel hands. In one clip, fighters appear to open fire on soldiers lying on the ground. The Associated Press could not independently verify the footage.

The assault is the latest in a string of militant attacks against Malian security forces in recent months, as armed groups vie for influence and territory across the Sahel. Landlocked Mali lies at the heart of this vast semi-arid region south of the Sahara, which has become the global epicenter of extremist violence.

In northern Mali, Tuareg-led separatists have long sought an independent state called Azawad. In 2024, these factions unified under the banner of the Azawad Liberation Front.

Both the FLA and JNIM have increasingly coordinated their operations against Malian forces, culminating in April with the largest joint assault on the West African nation in over a decade.

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