At least 50 Malian soldiers killed in ambush by jihadists and Tuareg separatists near Anéfis

The ambush

On Saturday 18 July, a Malian military convoy leaving Anéfis, a strategic town in northern Mali, was ambushed by a coalition of jihadists and Tuareg separatists. The convoy was heading to the regional capital Gao when it came under attack from fighters of the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), an al-Qaeda affiliate, and the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA). The ambush is one of the deadliest strikes against the Malian army in the 15-year conflict that has ravaged the West African nation.

Casualties and prisoners

A local elected official close to the ruling junta told AFP that the provisional toll was "very heavy: more than 50 soldiers killed and at least 24 prisoners." An army source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said some soldiers were "purely executed" and that investigations are underway to determine what tactical failures left the troops so exposed. The wife of a soldier killed in the fighting demanded transparency.

The provisional toll of the attack is very heavy. More than 50 soldiers killed. And at least 24 prisoners.

My husband was killed Saturday in the fighting. The government must tell us the truth. There are too many dead.

Russian forces escape unscathed

Russian paramilitaries from Africa Corps, the Kremlin-linked force that succeeded the Wagner Group in Mali, had already reached Gao when the ambush occurred and suffered no casualties. A community leader from the Gao region stated bluntly that no Russian was killed, with the dead coming from the army and state militias. A local official confirmed a coordination breakdown: "There was a coordination problem between the Russians and the army. The Russians were in front. They arrived in Gao without losing a single man." The absence of Russian losses has raised questions about the integration of the two forces.

No Russian was killed. The dead are in the ranks of the army and state militias.

Weeks of fighting for Anéfis

Anéfis has been a flashpoint for weeks. In early July, JNIM and FLA mounted a large-scale coordinated offensive that temporarily seized the town, encircling the military camp defended by Malian soldiers and Russian paramilitaries. The convoy ambushed on Saturday was departing that same contested area. The two groups had announced an alliance against the Malian junta in May, and their joint operations have intensified since an offensive in April that briefly put the military authorities under severe pressure.

Investigation and wider conflict

The Malian army acknowledged on Saturday that its convoy "fell into an ambush set by armed terrorist groups" but did not release casualty figures. An army source said investigators are examining what made the soldiers so vulnerable. The FLA claimed the attack in a statement, saying it left "dozens dead and wounded," several prisoners, and a significant quantity of military equipment destroyed, while several vehicles and armored vehicles were captured in good condition. The group vowed to continue operations until the "total liberation of Azawad," the historical Tuareg territory.

Mali has been gripped by a profound security crisis since 2012, driven by groups linked to al-Qaeda and Islamic State, community-based criminal gangs, and Tuareg independence movements. The country has been under military rule since back-to-back coups in 2020 and 2021, with the junta promising to restore security and preserve territorial integrity. In August 2024, the Malian army and Wagner paramilitaries suffered a major defeat at Tinzaouatène, near the Algerian border, underscoring the persistent challenges facing the regime.