JIHADISTS and a separatist group ambushed a Malian army convoy in the country’s hard-hit north on Saturday, resulting in the killing or capture of scores of soldiers, the rebels said.

The military convoy was leaving the northern town of Anefis and headed to the city of Gao when it was ambushed in the Sahara Desert.

The Malian army confirmed the attack, saying in a statement that armed groups ambushed the convoy of Malian soldiers and their partners in a remote part of the northern Gao region, and that it was launching counter-attacks.

It was the latest in a series of attacks against Malian security forces in recent months as armed groups compete for influence and territories in the Sahel region.

Later on Sunday, the army said it carried out “precision strikes against enemy positions” in the area where the attack happened. “Three terrorist positions were successfully targeted, and several terrorists were neutralised.

“These operations allowed the convoy to break free from the ambushes and continue its route,” it said.

Both the regional al-Qaida affiliate JNIM and the separatist Azawad Liberation Front separately claimed responsibility for the attack as a joint operation in statements that spoke about “great human losses” and “serious material damage” on the side of the Malian army.