Rebels ambush Malian army, Russian convoy in northern Mali

A large convoy carrying Malian soldiers and Russian paramilitaries from the Africa Corps was ambushed on Thursday near Tabankort in northern Mali, according to separatist fighters and security sources. The attack comes as the army struggles to retake the strategic town of Anefis from a coalition of Tuareg-led separatists and al-Qaeda-linked militants.

The convoy, heading to reinforce the besieged military camp in Anefis, included over 200 Russian fighters and more than 100 Malian soldiers, a security source told Reuters Source: DW News. The separatist Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) claimed responsibility, saying its fighters engaged the reinforcement force that was "composed 90% of Russian mercenaries and Malian soldiers" Source: DW News.

Casualty claims

• The Malian army chief reported about 30 soldiers killed and 60 wounded in the operation to retake Anefis Source: Al Jazeera.
• The FLA claimed it inflicted "heavy losses" but acknowledged five of its own fighters dead and about 10 wounded Source: AP News.
• The Malian army stated that 12 combat vehicles were destroyed and nearly 100 rebels neutralized in the past 24 hours, without providing its own casualties Source: AP News.

Context

The FLA and the al-Qaeda-linked Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) launched coordinated attacks on April 27 that killed Mali's defense minister and struck the capital Bamako. Since then, they have seized several northern towns, including Kidal and Anefis, escalating a decade-long insurgency. Despite Russian support, the junta-led government has struggled to contain the renewed offensive Source: Al Jazeera, AP News.