On Friday, armed attackers ambushed a convoy and its military escort near Gao in northeastern Mali. This attack killed over 50 people. The assault happened close to the village of Kobe, about 30 kilometers from Gao. Militant groups have been active in this area for over a decade, causing instability in Mali and its neighbors, Burkina Faso and Niger.
Witnesses reported that many civilians jumped out of their vehicles to escape, leading to numerous deaths and injuries. A local official, who spoke anonymously for safety reasons, confirmed that up to 56 bodies were found at the Gao hospital. The number of military casualties is still unknown. The Malian army has not yet commented on the incident.
A resident of Gao also confirmed that around 50 people were killed and vehicles were set on fire. These deadly attacks have become so frequent that the military now provides near-daily escorts for convoys.
This incident is the latest in a series of violent events that began with a Tuareg separatist rebellion in 2012. Since then, militant groups have spread to other countries in the central Sahel region. The ongoing violence has caused thousands of deaths and a severe humanitarian crisis, with over 3.2 million people displaced, according to the International Organization for Migration.
As Mali and its neighbors deal with these ongoing threats, the international community is watching closely, hoping for an end to the violence that has troubled the region for over a decade.