25 civilians killed in Mali as army-escorted convoy faces massive attack by gunmen

A convoy of 60 vehicles escorted by the Mali army came under massive attack by gunmen on Friday (February 7), resulting in the death of 25 civilians.

The convoy consisted of vehicles carrying mostly gold miners, said an army spokesperson on Sunday.

The attack took place near Gao, Mali’s largest city in the northeast region where armed rebels often stage attacks on the ruling military junta. The spokesperson, military spokesman Col. Maj. Souleymane Dembele, was quoted as saying by Associated Press that the army assisted victims and shifted the wounded to a nearby hospital.

He declined to comment on whether the army had suffered any casualty but said four attackers sustained injuries during the encounter.

“My sister survived the attack, but she’s in a state of mental shock. She saw a lot of dead and wounded, a whole scene of horror. It was the first time she had seen dead people,” said a Gao resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity for his own safety.

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No group claims responsibility

No armed group has claimed responsibility for the attack. Several groups operate in the area, including the Islamic State group, the al-Qaeda-linked JNIM, and others from the Azawad region hostile to Mali’s military regime.

Mali has been in a crisis for more than 10 years.

The military seized power in 2020, capitalising on the unpopularity of the former democratically elected government, but the new rulers have struggled with deadly militant attacks.

(With inputs from Associated Press)