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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Conflict & Security

50 Malian soldiers killed in rebel-jihadist attack, Officials

From The Punch · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • At least 50 Malian soldiers were killed in a joint attack by Tuareg separatists and jihadists on a military convoy.
  • The attack occurred on Saturday near Anefis, a strategic northern town, following recent clashes for control.
  • Both the Tuareg separatist FLA and the Al-Qaeda-affiliated JNIM claimed responsibility for the deadliest assault on the Malian army in years.

A devastating attack by Tuareg separatists and jihadists has claimed the lives of at least 50 Malian soldiers, officials reported Sunday. The ambush targeted a military convoy as it departed the strategic northern town of Anefis on Saturday, marking one of the deadliest assaults on the Malian army in recent memory.

The provisional toll of the attack is extremely heavy, more than 50 soldiers killed and at least 24 prisoners.

— Local elected officialAn official close to the ruling junta described the severity of the attack near Anefis.

Fighters from the Tuareg separatist FLA and the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) have claimed responsibility for the coordinated assault. The attack follows weeks of intense fighting for control of Anefis, with both groups having briefly captured the town and encircled a military base in early July. The base is reportedly used by the Malian army and Russian paramilitaries from the Africa Corps.

Some of our men were simply executed.

— Source within the Malian armyA Malian army source described the brutal nature of the attack.

A local elected official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described the casualty toll as "extremely heavy," with over 50 soldiers killed and at least 24 taken prisoner. This official, who is close to the ruling junta, characterized the incident as the deadliest attack suffered by the Malian army in years. A source within the Malian army confirmed the grim toll, stating that "some of our men were simply executed." An investigation has been launched to determine the tactical failures that left the soldiers so vulnerable.

We are trying to see what could really have made our men so vulnerable.

— Source within the Malian armyA Malian army source indicated an investigation into tactical failures following the ambush.

Russian paramilitaries, who are supporting the Malian army, had already reached their destination in Gao when the ambush occurred and did not suffer any losses. Sources confirmed that the casualties were exclusively among the Malian army and state-backed militias. On Saturday, the army had acknowledged that the convoy had "fallen into an ambush laid by terrorist armed groups," but initially withheld casualty figures. Mali has been under military rule since a series of coups in 2020 and 2021, and the current junta faces significant challenges in restoring security amid persistent jihadist and separatist unrest.

No Russians were killed. The dead are from the army and the state-backed militias.

— Community leader from the Gao regionA community leader clarified that Russian paramilitaries were not among the casualties.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Punch in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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