Mali’s army admitted to suffering heavy losses during two days of fighting with Tuareg separatist rebels and al-Qaeda-linked militants.
This admission is rare for the military and comes after the Russian mercenary group Wagner, an ally of Mali, reported the death of one of its commanders in the same battle during a sandstorm. Although no specific figures were given, estimates suggest that between 20 and 80 Wagner fighters died.
The clashes happened in the desert near Tinzaouaten, a town on the border with Algeria. According to Wagner, their fighters and Malian soldiers were retreating when they were ambushed by the separatists and militants from an al-Qaeda affiliate, JNIM.
The Malian army confirmed this account, stating that their unit was surrounded and suffered heavy losses despite their bravery.
Wagner estimated that the Tuareg and Islamist fighters had over 1,000 men, and reported that one of their two helicopters sent to help was downed. JNIM claimed that 50 Russians and 10 Malian soldiers were killed, but these numbers haven’t been verified.
The fighting highlights ongoing issues in Mali, where the northern region, called Azawad by separatists, feels neglected by the more prosperous south.
The conflict traces back to 2012 when Islamist militants and Tuareg rebels took over northern Mali, prompting intervention by France and the UN.
Although the Tuareg groups signed a peace deal, the jihadists continued their attacks, leading to the military takeover in 2020.
Mali’s military, now allied with Wagner, ousted France and the UN to address security concerns, but this has led to more conflict with the Tuareg.
Recent losses are a major setback for the Russian-backed junta in Mali, which continues to face a precarious security situation.
BBC News reported these developments, noting that Wagner still operates in Africa despite internal issues and the death of its leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, last year.
The recent ambush in Mali has been linked to information allegedly provided by Ukraine, although some claims, such as a photo of Malian rebels with a Ukrainian flag, were found to be misleading.
For more details, refer to the original report from BBC News.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cq5xvl1111yo