Rebels attack army convoy, killing scores of soldiers in Mali

Jihadi militants and a separatist group ambushed a Malian army convoy in the country’s hard-hit north on Saturday, resulting in the killing or capture of scores of soldiers, the rebels said.

The Malian army confirmed the attack, saying in a statement that armed groups ambushed the convoy of Malian soldiers and their partners in a remote part of the northern Gao region. It did not give further details, only saying that “a counterattack is underway.”

Both the regional al-Qaida affiliate JNIM and the separatist Azawad Liberation Front, or FLA, claimed responsibility for the attack in separate statements that spoke about “great human losses” and “serious material damage” on the side of the Malian army.

It is the latest such partnership between the two groups that observers say poses great risks to Mali’s stability and its ruling junta. “There were many soldiers killed, others captured alive. Army cars, including armoured cars, were destroyed and others seized in good condition,” said FLA spokesperson Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane. The rebels shared videos purportedly showing the soldiers lined up as they appear to be surrendering while surrounded by the militants and Malian military vehicles.

In one of the videos, the rebels were seen opening fire on some soldiers lying on the ground. The Associated Press could not independently verify the videos. It is the latest in a series of militant attacks against Malian security forces in recent months as armed groups compete for influence and territories in the Sahel region. Landlocked Mali is part of the Sahel, a vast strip of land south of the Sahara that has become the epicentre of extremist violence in recent years.

In northern Mali, Tuareg-led separatist groups have been fighting for years to create an independent State named Azawad. In 2024, they merged into the Azawad Liberation Front, or FLA.  Both the FLA and the JNIM have increasingly worked together in their attacks against Malian forces, including the largest coordinated attack in over a decade in the West African nation, which took place in April.