JNIM Terrorists Ambush Russian Africa Corps Convoy in Mali

The Malian terrorist group JNIM (Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin) ambushed Russian Africa Corps forces and soldiers from Mali’s military junta.

Several specialized media outlets and sources, including Sahel Alerte and War Noir, reported the attack.

The ambush took place on September 8 near the village of Kaka in Mali’s Mopti region. According to reports, 13 Russian and Malian junta soldiers were killed in the attack.

JNIM claimed that it had captured 14 motorcycles, two PKM machine guns, six Kalashnikov assault rifles, six grenades, and ammunition.

The captured equipment also included a DJI-made drone. It was also reported that several of the rifles were relatively new AK-15s from the 2023 model year, which, according to available information, appear to have been captured for the first time.

On July 14, an attack by insurgents on a military convoy in northern Mali was reported.

The convoy was carrying Malian army personnel and fighters from the Russian paramilitary formation Africa Corps.

Preliminary reports stated that the convoy carried more than 200 Russian mercenaries and over 100 Malian soldiers.

According to initial estimates, around 60 Malian servicemen were killed in the attack, while at least 30 others were captured. Dozens more were wounded.

Similar attacks on military convoys occur regularly in the region.

JNIM

JNIM (Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims) is one of the most powerful jihadist organizations in the Sahel and Al-Qaeda’s official affiliate in the region. Its name is commonly translated as the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims.

JNIM was established on March 2, 2017, through the merger of several groups that were already operating in Mali: Ansar Dine, Al-Mourabitoun, the Sahel Emirate’s katibas of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, and the Macina Liberation Front (Katiba Macina).

Mali remains JNIM’s main stronghold, but the group has long expanded beyond the country’s borders. Its militants also operate in Burkina Faso and Niger, and in recent years have been increasing their presence toward Benin and Togo.

Thus, JNIM is gradually expanding its area of operations from the central Sahel toward West Africa.