Mali Army and Rebels Both Claim Success After Ambush Near Tabankort

Mali’s army launched a counterattack after an ambush on a military convoy near Tabankort in the Gao region on the morning of 18 July 2026. The convoy had been traveling from Anefis to Gao when fighters struck, according to a military source in Gao. Fighting continued at the site of the ambush.

Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin and the Azawad Liberation Front both claimed responsibility in separate statements. The groups said the attack caused “great human losses” and “serious material damage” to the Malian army. The army stated that its partners were also attacked during the incident.

The Azawad Liberation Front released images it said showed dozens of Malian army prisoners taken during the ambush. It also released footage that it said showed Malian soldiers surrendering. In the video, the rebels appear to shoot at some of the soldiers as they lie on the ground.

The ambush followed the army’s recapture of Anefis on 10 July 2026. That operation killed about 30 Malian soldiers and injured about 60 others. The town had been seized by the Azawad Liberation Front and Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin six days earlier.

The Azawad Liberation Front said it lost some of its best fighters during its offensive to take Anefis. Mali has faced a security crisis for more than 14 years. More than five million people, almost 20 percent of the population, now require humanitarian assistance because of the fighting.