Widespread killings, rapes and looting in northeast Mali have been reported this year forcing thousands of people to flee and seek refuge, according to New York-based Human Rights Watch.

A report released by the rights group on Thursday documents six attacks in the Gao region and two in Menaka between January and June. Unconfirmed reports from aid workers and witnesses suggest hundreds of civilians have been killed and tens of thousands were forced to flee.

Dozens of witnesses told investigators the fighters were armed with assault rifles, sometimes rocket-propelled grenade launchers, rode motorbikes and pick-up trucks, and wore identifiable turbans.

“Islamist armed groups are brutally attacking civilians and fuelling a massive humanitarian emergency,” said HRW senior Sahel researcher Ilaria Allegrozzi.

“Security has deteriorated sharply amid clashes between two armed Islamist groups as they seek to control supply routes and increase their influence,” the rights watchdog said in a report, adding that it could not confirm the total death toll since January.

HRW said the findings were based on interviews with 52 people including “39 witnesses to abuses, 7 members of Malian civil society organisations, and 6 representatives of international organisations”.