On 20 April 2023, the Malian government announced that unidentified militants ambushed a convoy transporting the president’s chief of staff near the southwestern town of Nara in the Koulikoro region, approximately 300 km (180 mi) north of the capital Bamako. According to local officials, the chief of staff and three others were killed in the attack, which was initiated with the detonation of an improvised explosive device followed by small arms fire. It remains unknown if the ambush was targeted, as no group has claimed responsibility. However, government officials suspect the attack was most likely coordinated by the al-Qaeda-affiliate Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, which is known to be active in the region.