A military convoy transporting Malian troops and members of Russia’s paramilitary Africa Corps came under attack in northern Mali on Thursday, with Tuareg-led separatist fighters claiming responsibility for the assault.
The incident comes amid escalating clashes between Mali’s armed forces, Russian-backed units and rebel groups following a major operation in April by Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), an Al Qaeda-linked organization, together with the Tuareg-led Azawad Liberation Front (FLA).
That operation marked a significant escalation, killing Mali’s former defense minister and targeting key facilities in the capital, Bamako, including the airport.
The convoy was reportedly moving toward the northern town of Anefis, where fighting has continued, when it was attacked.
A security source cited by Reuters said the group included more than 200 Russian fighters and over 100 Malian soldiers. AFP, citing a Malian security source, reported that a convoy made up of “dozens of vehicles with air cover” had been hit in what was described as another ambush.
