Mali rebels kill or capture scores of soldiers in convoy ambush

“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 rebels shared videos purportedly showing the soldiers lined up as they appear to be surrendering while surrounded by the militants and Malian military vehicles. In one of the videos, the rebels were seen opening fire on some soldiers lying on the ground. The Associated Press could not independently verify the videos.

It is the latest in a series of militant attacks against Malian security forces in recent months as armed groups compete for influence and territories in the Sahel region. Landlocked Mali is part of the Sahel, a vast strip of land south of the Sahara Desert that has become the epicenter of extremist violence in recent years. In northern Mali, Tuareg-led separatist groups have been fighting for years to create an independent state named Azawad. In 2024, they merged into the Azawad Liberation Front, or FLA. Both the FLA and the JNIM have increasingly worked together in their attacks against Malian forces, including the largest coordinated attack in over a decade in the West African nation, which took place in April.