Insurgents attacked a military convoy near the Malian city of Gao, killing 25 civilians and injuring 13, the country's army reported.
The attack occurred near Kobe village, 30 km from Gao, in a region plagued by Islamic State (Daesh)* and al-Qaeda*-linked groups. The army stated that it had killed 19 assailants in retaliation but did not report military losses.
Islamist insurgencies, sparked by a 2012 Tuareg rebellion in Mali's north, have since spread across the Sahel, causing widespread violence that has killed thousands, displaced millions, and triggered coups.
* terrorist groups outlawed in Russia and many other countries