A military convoy transporting hundreds of personnel, including Malian soldiers and fighters from Russia’s paramilitary Africa Corps, was ambushed in northern Mali on Thursday. Security sources reported that the convoy, which consisted of dozens of vehicles supported by air cover, was traveling toward the northern town of Anefis when it fell into the attack.
According to reports from both Reuters and AFP, Tuareg rebel groups claimed responsibility for the operation. Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, a spokesperson for the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), stated that their troops engaged in combat near Tabankort against a reinforcement force composed of 90% Russian mercenaries and Malian soldiers.
The convoy was reportedly carrying more than 200 Russian fighters and over 100 Malian soldiers. While the FLA rebels claimed to have seized control of Anefis—a strategic point for maintaining influence over the northern town of Kidal—AFP reported that Russian paramilitaries and Malian soldiers maintained their hold on a military camp within the town.
This incident follows a series of coordinated attacks on Saturday by the FLA and the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), which targeted various military positions across the country. The security situation in the region has been volatile, with tension escalating since a high profile operation killed Mali’s then-defense minister and struck the capital Bamako’s airport.
Mali has faced persistent insurgencies since 2012. Despite two military coups in 2020 and 2021 and the deployment of Russia’s Africa Corps to support local forces, the government has struggled to contain the ongoing unrest in the north.
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