On 7 September 2023, armed militants launched an attack on a passenger boat traveling on the Niger River near the northern village of Zarho, located approximately 90 km (55 mi) east of Timbuktu. According to Comanav — the boat operator — at least three rockets targeted the ferry’s engines, halting the vessel on the river. At least 49 people were killed. Military personnel responding to the event evacuated survivors from the stranded boat on the river. Separately, a Malian army camp was attacked in the Bourem Circle of the Gao region. Authorities stated that 15 Malian soldiers and 50 assailants were killed in the latter attack. The military junta blamed the al-Qaida-linked group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) for both assaults.