Malian military suffers heavy losses as rebels with jihadist ties launch deadly assault, claiming 50 troops or more

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At least 50 Malian soldiers were killed in an attack by Tuareg separatists and jihadists as they left the strategic northern town of Anefis, officials said on Sunday.

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The attack on the army convoy leaving Anefis occurred on Saturday, following weeks of fighting with both sides attempting to take control.

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In early July, fighters from the Tuareg separatist FLA and the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) briefly captured the town and encircled a military base used the Malian army and Russian paramilitaries from Africa Corps.

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JNIM and the FLA claimed responsibility for the attack.

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“The provisional toll of the attack is extremely heavy — more than 50 soldiers killed and at least 24 prisoners,” a local elected official, close to the ruling junta, told AFP.

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The official, who asked to remain anonymous, said it was the deadliest attack suffered by the Malian army in years.

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“Some of our men were simply executed,” said a source within the Malian army, adding that an investigation was underway to determine any tactical failures.

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“We are trying to see what could really have made our men so vulnerable,” he said.

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The Russian paramilitaries supporting the army had already arrived in Gao, their destination, when the attack happened and did not suffer any losses, sources told AFP.

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“No Russians were killed. The dead are from the army and the state-backed militias,” said a community leader from the Gao region.

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On Saturday, the army acknowledged the convoy had “fallen into an ambush laid by terrorist armed groups”, without providing casualty figures.

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Mali has been ruled by a military government since back-to-back coups in 2020 and 2021.

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The junta has struggled to deliver on its promise to restore security after years of jihadist and separatist unrest.

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