JNIM ambush kills 13 Russian and Malian soldiers in Mopti region

A deadly ambush targeting a convoy of the African Corps unfolded in Mali, leaving more than a dozen soldiers dead. The attack, claimed by the jihadist group JNIM (Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin), struck near the village of Kaka in the Mopti region on 9 September.

The assault resulted in the deaths of 13 Russian and Malian soldiers, according to initial field reports. The JNIM later announced it had seized a significant cache of weapons, including 14 motorcycles, two PKM machine guns, six Kalashnikov assault rifles, six grenades, and a large quantity of ammunition.

The targeted convoy was reportedly composed of over 200 Russian mercenaries and around 100 Malian soldiers. The attack also left some sixty Malian soldiers dead, at least 30 taken prisoner, and dozens wounded.

Similar strikes on military convoys occur frequently in the region, yet neither Russia nor Mali has put forward a viable solution to curb the violence.

Earlier on 14 July, reports emerged that rebels had attacked a military convoy in northern Mali carrying Malian army soldiers and fighters from the Russian Ministry of Defence’s “African Corps”.

The JNIM (Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin) ranks among the most powerful jihadist organizations in the Sahel and serves as Al-Qaeda’s official branch in the region. Its name is often translated as “Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims”.

Formed on 2 March 2017, the JNIM emerged from a merger of several groups already active in Mali, including Ansar Dine, Al-Mourabitoun, Katiba of the Sahara Emirate (part of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb), and Katiba Macina.

Mali remains the JNIM’s primary base, but the group has long extended its operations beyond its borders. Its fighters are also active in Burkina Faso and Niger, and have strengthened their presence in Bénin and Togo in recent years.

Thus, the JNIM is gradually expanding its area of action from the central Sahel to West African countries.