In the Malian region of Kidal, the National Army accompanied by its partners of the Wagner Group has recently conducted a series of significant operations. These actions, carried out on 16 and 17 February, were aimed at the Tilemsi valley, an area extending partly over the regions of Kidal and Gao. According to our confrères de Sud Quotidien, these strikes have led to the death of seven independence rebels of the Front de Libération de l’Azawad (FLA), qualified as “terrorists” by the Malian transitional authorities. In a letter dated 16 February, the Malian Foreign Ministry stated that it had been informed by the Malian authorities that the Malian authorities had been unable to provide the information requested. In an official declaration, the Malian army has affirmed having “neutralized seven terrorists” and a fait état of four wounded soldiers. On the other hand, the rebels confirmed the loss of seven of their members, claiming to have killed six opponents and wounded several others, including Malian soldiers and mercenaries of Wagner. Although the army did not provide details, diverse local sources joined by RFI, including elected officials and human rights defenders, as well as FLA fighters, reported the death of four to seven civilians. The Malian army announced the following night that it had carried out air strikes, claiming to have destroyed a pick-up belonging to a “group of terrorists” moving as reinforcements on the spot of the clashes.
Mali: joint strikes of the Malian and Wagner forces in the Kidal region
