Mali convoy ambush in Gao shows deepening JNIM-FLA alliance

Bamako,UPDATED: Jul 18, 2026 19:58 IST

Jihadi militants and a separatist group ambushed a Malian army convoy in northern Mali on Saturday, with the rebels saying scores of soldiers were killed or captured. The Malian army confirmed the attack in a remote part of the Gao region and said that "a counterattack is underway".

Both the regional al-Qaida affiliate JNIM and the Azawad Liberation Front, or FLA, claimed responsibility in separate statements. They said the attack caused "great human losses" and "serious material damage" to the Malian army.

FLA spokesperson Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane said, "There were many soldiers killed, others captured alive. Army cars including armoured cars were destroyed and others seized in good condition." He said the convoy had been ambushed by the two groups.

The rebels also shared videos which they said showed soldiers lined up as they appeared to surrender while surrounded by militants and Malian military vehicles. In one of the videos, the rebels were seen opening fire on some soldiers lying on the ground. The videos could not be independently verified.

The ambush is the latest in a series of militant attacks against Malian security forces in recent months as armed groups compete for influence and territory in the Sahel region. Landlocked Mali is part of the Sahel, a vast belt of land south of the Sahara Desert that has become the epicentre of extremist violence in recent years.

In northern Mali, Tuareg-led separatist groups have for years fought to create an independent state called Azawad. In 2024, they merged into the Azawad Liberation Front. The FLA and JNIM have increasingly worked together in attacks on Malian forces, including what was described as the largest coordinated attack in more than a decade in the West African country in April.

The latest attack in Gao underlines the growing cooperation between JNIM and the FLA, with the rebels claiming heavy losses for the Malian army and the military saying its counterattack is under way.

With PTI Inputs

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