Tragedy as 8 People Killed, 42 Injured After Bus Hits Land Mine

Tragedy as 8 People Killed, 42 Injured After Bus Hits Land Mine

  • Eight dead and 42 injured after a bus hits a land mine near Bamako, Mali
  • Explosion linked to al Qaeda-affiliated Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin operations in the area
  • Russian paramilitary group blames JNIM for the deadly incident amid recent violence in Mali

Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over 8 years of experience covering metro, government policy, and international issues

Bamako, Mali - No fewer than eight people were killed and 42 others injured after a commercial bus hit a ‌land mine west of Bamako in Mali.

The bus was travelling ​to Kayes when the tragic incident occurred on Monday, June 1, 2026.

Fatal bus explosion in Mali: eight killed, 42 injured
Eight lives lost after a bus strikes land mine in JNIM territory in Mali. Photo credit: @dailysun
Source: Twitter

As reported by Reuters, the communications officer for ​the national drivers' union, Mamadou Kassambara, made this known on Tuesday, June 2, 2026.

It was gathered that the explosion happened on a road where al ​Qaeda-linked Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) operates.

The explosion ⁠follows unprecedented assaults in April by ​JNIM in coordination with a Tuareg-dominated rebel group.

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Meanwhile, nobody has claimed responsibility ​for laying the land mine.

Africa Corps, ‌a ⁠Russian paramilitary group operating in Mali, claimed five people were killed ​, and more than ​10 ⁠were injured in the incident.

It blamed JNIM for the tragic incident in a social media post shared late on Monday, June 1, 2026.

JNIM had earlier announced ​a ⁠blockade and set up checkpoints on some major ⁠roads ​to Bamako City following the April attacks

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Adekunle Dada avatar

Adekunle Dada (Politics and Current Affairs Editor) Adekunle Dada is a Politics and Current Affairs Editor at Legit.ng. He holds a B.Sc. in Mass Communication from Lagos State University, Ojo, and brings over eight years of professional media experience to his role. He has spent his career refining his craft at PM News, The Sun, and Within Nigeria. In 2024, he earned a certification in advanced digital reporting from the Google News Initiative. He can be reached at adekunle.dada@corp.legit.ng