Al-Qaeda affiliate JNIM has launched a deadly assault targeting a combined force of the Russian Africa Corps and Malian state troops.

A devastating ambush struck a joint military patrol on September 9 near the settlement of Kaka, situated in the volatile Mopti region. The surprise offensive resulted in the deaths of 13 personnel, comprising both Russian operatives and Malian government soldiers.

Following the clash, fighters belonging to the Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) claimed to have captured a significant cache of military hardware. The seized items include 14 motorbikes, a pair of PKM machine guns, six Kalashnikov rifles, six hand grenades, and an extensive supply of ammunition.

This incident follows an earlier large-scale confrontation on July 14, when insurgent forces intercepted another military column in northern Mali. That convoy transport was carrying regular Malian troops alongside fighters from the Russian Defense Ministry’s “Africa Corps” unit.

Reports from that mid-July engagement indicate the convoy was heavily manned, consisting of over 200 Russian mercenaries and approximately 100 Malian military personnel. The encounter proved highly lethal, leaving around 60 Malian soldiers dead, dozens wounded, and at least 30 captured as prisoners of war.

While such violent interceptions of military columns have become a recurring threat across the territory, security strategies from both Moscow and Bamako have yet to implement an effective countermeasure to secure these transit routes.

Operating as the official wing of Al-Qaeda in the Sahel, JNIM stands as one of the most dominant extremist coalitions in the region. The group’s Arabic name is commonly translated as the “Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims.”

The coalition was established on March 2, 2017, merging several pre-existing armed factions in Mali. This alliance brought together Ansar Dine, Al-Mourabitoun, the Sahara Emirate branch of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), and the Katiba Macina.

Although Mali serves as the primary stronghold for JNIM, the network has broadened its operational reach far beyond Malian borders. Active combat units are deployed throughout Burkina Faso and Niger, with a rapidly growing footprint detected in coastal West African nations like Benin and Togo over the past few years.

Consequently, the extremist organization continues to push its campaign outward, shifting its focus from the central Sahelian belt toward the broader West African littoral states.