Insurgents have been reported to have ambushed a military-escorted convoy near the northeastern city of Gao, in Mali, killing 25 civilians and injuring 13 others.
According to a statement from Mali’s army, the attack occurred near the village of Kobe, approximately 30 kilometers (19 miles) from Gao, in a region long plagued by armed groups linked to Islamic State and Al Qaeda.
These militant factions, as noticed by WorldClass247News, have destabilized Mali and its neighbors, Burkina Faso and Niger, for over a decade.
The army reported that at least 19 assailants were killed when soldiers fought back, forcing the attackers to retreat.
Though, the statement did not provide details on military casualties, but a local official offered a different toll, claiming up to 56 bodies were recorded at the Gao hospital and suggesting additional military losses.
Mali has struggled with insurgencies since 2012, when Islamist militants took advantage of a Tuareg separatist rebellion to establish a foothold in the country’s arid north.
The conflict has since expanded across the Sahel, leading to widespread violence, mass displacement, and a series of military coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger between 2020 and 2023.
A resident of Gao, told reporters that. deadly attacks have become so frequent in the region that the military now organizes near-daily convoys for protection.
WorldClass247News, observed that.l ,despite ongoing counterinsurgency efforts, violence continues to claim lives and fuel instability across the central Sahel.