Authorities in western Mali have blamed jihadist fighters for a deadly attack on a fuel tanker convoy that left at least 15 people dead, reigniting fears of renewed disruption to fuel supplies after months of blockade-related shortages.
According to local sources cited by AFP, the attack occurred on Thursday along a strategic road linking the Senegalese border to the city of Kayes, where dozens of fuel tankers were set ablaze.
The assault comes just days after fuel deliveries had begun to improve following a months-long fuel blockade that severely strained Mali’s economy.
The Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), an armed group affiliated with Al-Qaeda, claimed responsibility for an ambush on Malian security forces in the area, though it did not explicitly reference the destruction of the tankers.
Since September, JNIM has repeatedly targeted fuel convoys as part of a campaign aimed at choking fuel supplies and destabilising economic activity across the country.
While attacks had eased in recent weeks and fuel availability had started to recover—particularly in the capital, Bamako—this latest incident is being described as the deadliest fuel convoy attack since early December.
Security analysts warn the strike could signal a renewed escalation in attacks on critical infrastructure, threatening fragile supply chains and deepening instability in the region.
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