A convoy and its military escort were ambushed near the village of Kobe, leaving over 50 people dead.
Gunmen attacked around 30 kilometers from Gao in a region plagued by violence from Islamic State and Al Qaeda affiliates.
Panic swept through the convoy as civilians jumped from vehicles, desperately trying to escape the deadly onslaught, an official said.
Gao’s hospital recorded 56 bodies, though military casualties remain unknown, the official added, speaking anonymously for safety reasons.
The Malian army has yet to release a statement regarding the attack, leaving uncertainty over the extent of the losses.
A local resident confirmed around 50 fatalities, with torched vehicles marking the site of the violent ambush.
Militant assaults have surged, forcing the military to conduct nearly daily convoy escorts to protect civilians and supply routes.
Mali’s security crisis began in 2012 after a Tuareg separatist uprising, fueling an Islamist insurgency that has spread across the Sahel.
Relentless attacks have killed thousands and displaced over 3.2 million people, worsening an already dire humanitarian catastrophe.