The al-Qaeda-linked Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) launched a major attack on a camp in the town of Gora housing Malian troops and fighters from allied Dozo militias, local sources said.

The sources clarified that members of Russia’s Africa Corps are not permanently stationed in Gora. They visit the town alongside Malian army units to escort and secure periodic deliveries of weapons and supplies.

Gora lies about 60 kilometres from the Mauritanian border and serves as a strategic military logistics and transfer point along a route linking the Ségou region with Timbuktu.

According to the sources, the Malian army has relied in the area on Dozo fighters, most of them drawn from Dogon communities, as part of operations against armed groups whose ranks include Fulani members.

No verified information was immediately available regarding casualties or losses suffered by either side. The Malian army had not issued an official statement.

The outcome of the fighting and the situation on the ground remain unclear pending further information from the area.