Deadly Ambush Claims Lives of Malian Officials and Staff

Mali's interim president's chief of staff and three others were killed in an ambush in the southwestern Koulikoro region. Rebels linked to al-Qaeda and ISIL have been active in Mali and the Sahel for over a decade, killing thousands and displacing millions. Mali is one of several West African countries battling armed groups. The frustration against the authorities' failure to quell the violence has spurred two military takeovers in Mali since 2020.