JNIM militants ambush Russian and Malian convoy in Mali

The militant group JNIM (Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin) carried out an ambush against a convoy of Russian Africa Corps personnel and Malian military junta forces near the village of Kaka in Mali’s Mopti region. The attack, reported to have occurred on September 8, resulted in the deaths of 13 Russian and Malian soldiers.

JNIM claimed responsibility for the ambush, stating they captured various equipment including 14 motorcycles, two PKM machine guns, six Kalashnikov assault rifles, six grenades, ammunition, and a DJI drone. Notably, the group reported capturing several relatively new AK-15 rifles from the 2023 model year.

JNIM is an Al-Qaeda affiliate and one of the most powerful jihadist organizations in the Sahel. This incident follows a significant attack on July 14 in northern Mali, where an insurgent strike on a convoy of over 200 Russian mercenaries and 100 Malian soldiers reportedly killed approximately 60 Malian servicemen and led to dozens of injuries and captures.