Illustrative image.
Militants from the separatist Tuareg Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) and the al-Qaeda-affiliated Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) ambushed a convoy of the Malian Armed Forces (FAMa) in the northern region of the Sahel country on July 18.
The FAMa convoy was reportedly heading from the region of Gao to the town of Anéfis in the region of Kidal when it came under attack.
The two groups claimed responsibility for the attack in separate statements that spoke of “great human losses” and “serious material damage” on the side of the FAMa.
“There were many soldiers killed, others captured alive. Army cars including armored cars were destroyed and others seized in good condition,” said FLA spokesperson Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane.
The group released videos purportedly showing Malian troops lined up as they appear to be surrendering while surrounded by the militants.
The FAMa confirmed the attack, saying in a statement that armed groups ambushed the convoy of Malian troops and their partners in a remote part of Gao. It gave no further details, saying only that “a counterattack is underway.”
For its part, the Russian Africa Corps released videos showing several drone strikes hitting militants who took part in the ambush. Another video released by the Corps also shows Russian fighters in direct clashes with the militants somewhere in Gao.
Both the FLA and the JNIM have increasingly worked together in their attacks against the FAMa, including the largest coordinated attack in over a decade in the country, which took place in April.
The two groups launched a similar attack earlier this month with the main goal of capturing Anéfis. The militants stormed the town but were eventually pushed back by the FAMa, the Africa Corps, and several local armed groups supportive of the military government in Mali. Some 2,000 militants were neutralized in the battle, according to the Corps.
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