MALI SAYS IT BROKE REBEL BLOCKADE AROUND STRATEGIC NORTHERN BASE

Mali's military said Friday that it had broken a rebel blockade around a strategic army base at Anefis in the country's north, the Associated Press reported, as the junta faces a renewed offensive by separatists and al-Qaida-linked militants. Anefis sits between Kidal, which AP described as separatist-controlled, and Gao, which is under the military government. The location gives the base military and logistical importance in northern Mali, where control of roads, convoys and towns can shape the balance between government forces, separatist groups and jihadist organizations.

AP reported that the Azawad Liberation Front, or FLA, said late Thursday that it had attacked a large convoy of Malian army reinforcements, Russian Africa Corps allies and local militias, cutting off the base. The Malian army said a large logistics convoy from Gao reached Anefis on Thursday evening and that air and ground operations allowed government forces to retake the area despite ambushes by what it called terrorist armed groups, including JNIM, the FLA and their affiliates. JNIM, Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, is the regional al-Qaida affiliate active across parts of the Sahel. The FLA is a separatist coalition tied to the long-running conflict over northern Mali and Azawad independence claims.

The competing accounts agree on the basic shape of the battle but not on its outcome or losses. The army said it regained control after nearly a week of fighting and claimed that 12 combat vehicles were destroyed and nearly 100 militants were "neutralized," according to AP. The army did not provide a casualty toll for government forces at Anefis. The FLA said it had withdrawn to reorganize after heavy fighting. Mohamed Elmaoulaud Ramadane, the FLA spokesperson, told AP that the group decided to withdraw so it could better organize itself. He said five FLA fighters were killed and about 10 wounded, and he claimed heavy losses among the Malian army, Russian Africa Corps forces and allied militias. AP reported that the army's and the separatists' claims could not be independently verified.

The Anefis fight follows a series of attacks in northern Mali and adds to pressure on the junta led by Gen. Assimi Goita. AP reported that FLA separatists targeted several northern towns last week, including nearby Gao, and effectively put the Anefis military camp under blockade. The first convoy sent by the Malian army was ambushed last Sunday, according to the FLA account cited by AP. Images that rebels said showed a downed helicopter and burned military trucks circulated on social media, though those images and claims have not been independently confirmed.

The battle is significant because northern Mali has again become a focal point for overlapping conflicts. Separatists in the north have fought for years to create an independent state, while al-Qaida-linked militants and Islamic State-affiliated groups have also operated across Mali and neighbouring countries. AP reported that in April the FLA and JNIM launched some of the heaviest attacks in more than a decade, including attacks that killed Mali's defence minister, Gen. Sadio Camara, and led to the capture of several key northern towns.

The renewed offensive has forced the junta to defend military positions while relying increasingly on foreign and regional partners. Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso have all faced jihadist violence after military coups, and their juntas have turned from Western security partners toward Russia for support. AP reported that the FLA said it attacked a convoy that included Russian Africa Corps allies, while the Malian army's own account referred to operations by government forces against JNIM, the FLA and their affiliates.

Russia's presence in Mali has become part of the country's post-coup security model, replacing or reducing earlier Western and U.N.-linked structures with Russian-backed assistance and local military coalitions. That has not ended the security crisis. AP reported that militant attacks have reached record levels and that government forces and Russian fighters have also been accused of killing civilians suspected of collaborating with militants.

The strategic picture remains unsettled even if the army's claim of regaining control around Anefis holds. A relief column reaching the base does not necessarily end the threat to convoys, roads or nearby positions. The geography between Gao and Kidal leaves government forces exposed to ambushes, roadside attacks and drone use. The immediate questions are whether the Malian army can keep the Anefis base supplied, whether the FLA or JNIM launch renewed attacks along the Gao-Anefis route, and whether either side provides verifiable evidence for its casualty and equipment-loss claims. Early reports from remote conflict zones often change as images, witness accounts and official statements are assessed.

Fact-check date: 11 July 2026
Article type: News
Sources: Associated Press (via ABC News and The Washington Times); Malian military statement as reported by AP; Azawad Liberation Front statements as reported by AP