More than 50 people were killed near Mali’s northeastern city of Gao on Friday after armed assailants ambushed their convoy and its army escort, according to a local official and residents.
The attack occurred near the village of Kobe, about 30 km (19 miles) from Gao, in a region plagued by violence from Islamic State and Al-Qaeda affiliates.
Witnesses reported that civilians attempted to flee as gunfire erupted, resulting in numerous deaths and injuries.
A local official, speaking anonymously due to security concerns, confirmed that up to 56 bodies were recorded at a hospital in Gao.
The number of military casualties remains unknown. The Malian army has yet to respond to inquiries about the incident.
A resident of Gao described the scene as chaotic, with torched vehicles and frequent deadly attacks prompting the military to organize daily security escorts.
Mali has been battling insurgencies since 2012, following a Tuareg separatist rebellion that allowed Islamist militants to gain a foothold in the arid north.
The violence has since spread to neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger, contributing to a worsening humanitarian crisis, with over 3.2 million people displaced as of January, according to the International Organization for Migration.
