Mali — Mali’s army said Monday it had destroyed “terrorist targets” and killed “around 20 armed individuals” during an operation in the north a day earlier, which local sources said left at least 20 civilians dead.
Drone strikes on Sunday in Tinzaouatene, near the Algerian border, killed around 20 civilians, including several children, according to separatist rebels, a local elected representative and an official from a local NGO.
Tinzaouatene was the site of a major late July battle in which mainly Tuareg-led separatists and jihadists claimed to have inflicted a serious defeat on the Malian army and the Russian paramilitary group Wagner.
Voyez de vous même les soit disant civils frappe à #Tinzaouatène c’est des terroristes et enrôlé même des enfants soldats et les drogue.Mais ce qui est étonnant la CMI ne va pas condamner l’enrôlement de ses enfants et certains États qui soutient cet acte par tous moyens. #Azawad pic.twitter.com/cCj5FC7UD6
— Maitre Malcolm X (@malcolmx0025) August 25, 2024
Speaking of Sunday’s events, the Malian army said in a statement that “an offensive reconnaissance mission spotted and identified pickup vehicles loaded with war material, carefully guarded in the courtyard of a plot of land in Tinzaouatene”.
“After meticulous surveillance, a series of strikes destroyed these terrorist targets and neutralised around 20 armed individuals”, it added.
Separatist rebels and jihadists claimed to have killed dozens of Malian soldiers and members of the Wagner paramilitary group during fighting in Tinzaouatene between July 25 and 27.
The Malian army and Wagner acknowledged heavy losses but gave no precise figures.
Since seizing power in a 2020 coup, Mali’s military leaders have made it a priority to retake all of the country from separatists and jihadist forces linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group.
🇲🇱 🇩🇿 : La polémique enfle après l’attaque aérienne de l’armée malienne contre la Tinzaouatene. Au moins 21 Touaregs maliens ont été tués selon la rébellion touarègue. Des blessés ont été acheminés en Algérie alors que l’armée algérienne a renforcé sa présence dans la zone. #Mali pic.twitter.com/qt0aD9nzDa
— Infos Minutes (@InfosMinutesFR) August 27, 2024
After an eight-year lull, hostilities between Bamako and separatists fighting for an independent homeland resumed in August 2023.
Under Colonel Assimi Goita, the junta broke a long-standing alliance with France and European partners, turning instead to Russia and its Wagner mercenary group for support.
Mali’s offensive in the north has given rise to numerous allegations of abuses committed against civilians by the army and its Russian allies since 2022, which the Malian authorities deny.
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Source: AFP
Picture: Unsplash
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