Mali rebels attack convoy of soldiers, Russian mercenaries

The convoy was bringing hundreds of personnel in reinforcement in northern Mali, where the Malian army and Russian paramilitaries are fighting jihadist and separatist militants.

A convoy carrying Malian soldiers and fighters from Russia's paramilitary Africa Corps was attacked in northern Mali on Thursday, with separatist fighters claiming responsibility.

The attack comes as fighting has intensified between the two sides since an April operation by the Al Qaeda affiliate Jama'at Nusrat ​al-Islam ‌wal Muslimin (JNIM) and the Tuareg-led rebel group the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA).

The high profile operation killed the Mali's then-defense minister and struck the capital Bamako's airport.

What do we know about the latest rebel attack?

The convoy was attacked while carrying over 200 Russian fighters and more than 100 Malian soldiers, a security source was cited by the Reuters news agency as saying. It was heading toward the northern town of Anefis, where fighting is reportedly still ongoing.

The French news agency AFP quoted a Malian security source as saying that a convoy of "dozens of vehicles with air cover" fell into "another ambush."

Both Reuters and AFP cited Tuareg rebel sources as claiming responsibility for the attack.

"Our troops engaged in combat this Thursday near Tabankort (northern Mali) against the reinforcement force, which is composed 90% of Russian mercenaries and Malian soldiers", Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, spokesperson for the FLA rebel group, told AFP.

Rebels claim gains in Mali

The FLA rebels claimed control of Anefis, a crucial location for maintaining a grip on the northern town of Kidal, which the group captured alongside the JNIM in April.

However, Russian paramilitaries and Malian soldiers remained in control of a military camp in Anefis, AFP reported.

The attack comes on the heels of coordinated attacks by the JNIM and FLA on Saturday which hit another military convoy and other military positions across Mali.

Mali has been plagued by insurgencies since 2012, but two back-to-back military coups in 2020 and 2021 and support from Russia's Africa Corps have thus far failed to quell the unrest.

Edited by: Zac Crellin

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