A convoy carrying Malian soldiers and fighters from Russia’s Africa Corps has come under attack in northern Mali, with Tuareg separatist rebels claiming responsibility for the ambush.
The convoy was reportedly transporting more than 100 Malian soldiers and over 200 Russian personnel toward the northern town of Anefis when it was attacked on Thursday.
According to Reuters, citing a security source, the convoy was heading to reinforce government forces in northern Mali, where the Malian military and Russian paramilitary personnel have been engaged in operations against jihadist and separatist groups.
AFP quoted a Malian security source as saying that a convoy comprising “dozens of vehicles with air cover” had fallen into “another ambush.”
The Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), a Tuareg-led separatist group, claimed responsibility for the attack.
“Our troops engaged in combat this Thursday near Tabankort against the reinforcement force, which is composed 90% of Russian mercenaries and Malian soldiers,” FLA spokesperson Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane told AFP.
The latest attack comes amid escalating violence in northern Mali following a major offensive in April by the al-Qaeda-linked group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) and the FLA.
That operation reportedly killed Mali’s then-defence minister and targeted military facilities, including Bamako’s international airport.
Following Thursday’s fighting, the FLA claimed it had taken control of Anefis, a strategically important town that serves as a gateway to Kidal, another northern stronghold captured by the rebels earlier this year alongside JNIM.
However, AFP reported that Malian government forces and Russian Africa Corps personnel continued to hold a military base in Anefis despite the rebels’ claims.
The ambush also follows coordinated attacks carried out on Saturday by JNIM and the FLA against another military convoy and several military positions across Mali.
Mali has faced armed insurgencies since 2012 involving jihadist groups and separatist movements seeking greater autonomy for the country’s north.
Military coups in 2020 and 2021 brought the current junta to power, which subsequently strengthened security ties with Russia. Despite support from Russia’s Africa Corps, the Malian government has continued to face persistent attacks from both Islamist militants and Tuareg separatist groups.
