Officials At least 50 Malian soldiers were killed in a deadly ambush by Tuareg separatists and jihadists near the strategic northern town of Anefis, officials confirmed on Sunday.
The attack occurred on Saturday as an army convoy was leaving Anefis, following weeks of intense fighting between government forces and the rebels.
Fighters from the Tuareg separatist FLA and the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) claimed responsibility.
A local elected official close to the ruling junta told AFP the provisional toll was “extremely heavy” more than 50 soldiers killed and at least 24 taken prisoner. The official described it as the deadliest attack suffered by the Malian army in years.
A military source said some soldiers “were simply executed,” adding that an investigation was underway to determine tactical failures that left the troops vulnerable.
Russian paramilitaries from the Africa Corps, who support the Malian army, had already reached their destination in Gao and suffered no losses. The dead were reportedly from the regular army and state-backed militias.
Mali has been under military rule since back-to-back coups in 2020 and 2021. The junta has struggled to fulfil promises to restore security amid ongoing jihadist and separatist unrest in the country.
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