Group of Militants from Russia’s Africa Corps Eliminated in Mali

In Mali, more than ten fighters from the Malian junta and Russia’s Africa Corps were killed in an ambush.

The publication TANAKRA NEWS reported that the Support Group for Islam and Muslims (JNIM) claimed responsibility for the attack.

The attack took place near the town of Nampala in the Segou region in central Mali, according to local sources.

According to their information, the attack took place on March 9, 2026, near the village of Lugel, southwest of Nampala, on the road leading to the border with Mauritania.

Jihadists attacked a Malian army convoy accompanied by Russian fighters from the Africa Corps.

Although the group that claimed responsibility for the attack did not specify the exact number of casualties, local and security sources report approximately ten deaths, including at least three Russian fighters.

The ambush occurred a few days after the deaths of seven civilians near the border with Mauritania. The Malian military and Russian fighters from the Africa Corps are being blamed for the deaths, according to the publication.

The latest events reflect the complex situation in central Mali, where local communities are caught between the pressure of military operations by the Malian army and its Russian allies and the actions of armed groups.

The Wagner Group, and later the Africa Corps of the Russian Ministry of Defense, became the only foreign force in Mali after the departure of the French and UN peacekeepers.

In the country, Russia gained access to gold, uranium, and lithium, and also signed an agreement to build a refinery with a capacity of up to 200 tons of gold per year.

Last year, Russia deployed a Mi-26 heavy military transport helicopter from the Aerospace Forces in Mali.