Eight passengers lost their lives and 42 others sustained injuries when their bus struck a landmine on the Bamako-Kayes route in southwestern Mali. The explosion occurred during peak travel hours, leaving the vehicle severely damaged and trapping survivors amid the wreckage.

Mamadou Kassambara, spokesperson for the national drivers’ union, confirmed the toll on Tuesday, noting all casualties were civilians. While transport officials linked the blast to ongoing militant activity in the region, a separate report from Africa Corps—a Russian-affiliated paramilitary unit—cited a lower figure of five fatalities and over a dozen injuries. The group attributed the attack to the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), an Al-Qaeda affiliate active in the Sahel.

The Bamako-Kayes corridor has become a recurring flashpoint for armed assaults and improvised explosive device (IED) strikes. Security sources highlight that in April, JNIM coordinated multiple offensives with a predominantly Tuareg rebel faction, exacerbating instability in the area.