Armed men suspected of belonging to the Macina Liberation Front, linked to the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), attacked cargo trucks along a strategic road leading to the Malian capital, Bamako, setting several vehicles on fire and disrupting supply routes.
According to eyewitness accounts cited by the German news agency dpa, the attack targeted at least six Moroccan trucks carrying food supplies and goods to Mali on the road linking Kouki Zammal near the Mauritania border to Bamako.
The attack is believed to be part of broader operations aimed at undermining supply chains and preventing the flow of essential goods toward Malian cities, particularly as the trucks were transporting food products destined for markets in the capital.
Activists and journalists in the region circulated videos showing armed men setting the trucks ablaze after targeting their fuel tanks, amid gunfire and chants, in scenes reflecting what observers described as a high level of coordination and determination in carrying out such attacks.
The same reports indicated that the attacks were not limited to Moroccan trucks. Similar incidents in recent days reportedly targeted trucks arriving from Senegal through the Kayes-Bamako axis, in addition to the burning of two Mauritanian trucks.
A Mauritanian driver was also reported injured in one of the attacks, suffering what were described as minor wounds before receiving treatment inside Mauritanian territory.
Mali is currently witnessing sustained clashes between forces loyal to the transitional government led by Assimi Goïta, backed by Russian units, and armed groups, most notably the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), alongside factions linked to the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA).
International reports suggest the country is facing one of the most coordinated offensives in recent years, with fighting continuing across multiple regions and control shifting between the army and armed groups. Despite the intensity of the clashes, the capital Bamako remains under government control.
