Malian Army and Allies Use Drones in Attack Against Tuaregs
Malian forces launched an airstrike in coordination with the Burkina Faso army in the town of Tin Zaouatine, near the Algerian border, as part of the collective defense mechanism of the Sahel States Union.
At least six civilians were killed Tuesday by drone fire in Tin Zaouatine, northern Mali, where the Malian army and its Russian allies suffered heavy losses on Saturday during fighting against separatists, according to local officials and rebels.
The Malian army stated on Tuesday that it had carried out an airstrike in coordination with the Burkina Faso army in Tin Zaouatine, near the Algerian border, adding that the attack was conducted as part of the collective defense mechanism of the recently formed Sahel States Union, which includes the military regimes of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger.
A source reported that “drones killed at least six civilians on Tuesday.” Another source accused the Malian army and its Russian allies of “launching drones that hit civilians, resulting in ten deaths.” A spokesman for the separatists referred to “dozens of dead” as a result of the drone strikes.
Mohamed El-Mouloud, spokesman for the separatists of the Permanent Strategic Framework for the Defense of the Azawad People, an alliance of separatist armed groups dominated by the Tuaregs, said that “the drone strikes carried out by the Malian army with (its Russian allies) Wagner targeted civilian gold mine workers in a mine near the Algerian border.”
The strikes resulted in “the deaths of dozens, mostly Nigerien Hausa and Chadians,” according to El-Mouloud.
A Malian source said that “the drones targeted and hit a small vehicle carrying terrorists,” without providing further details.
The Malian army and its Russian allies suffered one of their largest setbacks in years in northern Mali on Saturday, sustaining heavy losses after battles with separatists and an attack by jihadists.
While no official toll has been announced, the Malian army acknowledged a “large number of deaths” in Tin Zaouatine. A channel on the Telegram platform linked to the Wagner group confirmed losses within its ranks and the death of one of its leaders.
The separatists claimed a “major victory,” with one of their leaders reporting the death of dozens of Russians, while the Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen group, affiliated with Al-Qaeda, announced that it had killed 50 Russians and 10 Malians.
Since 2012, Mali has been the site of operations by groups linked to Al-Qaeda and ISIS as well as violence from criminal groups.
The Malian army stated in a statement on Monday that it had begun a “stabilization operation” in the area where rebels are active on July 19 and conducted an attack on July 25. It added that sandstorms played in favor of their adversaries, allowing them to reorganize their ranks around a convoy of its forces supported by Wagner.
The Tuaregs are an ethnic group living in the Sahara region, which includes parts of northern Mali, and many of them feel marginalized by the Malian government.
