A Tuareg separatist coalition in Mali has announced a significant victory over the country’s army and its Russian allies following intense fighting in the Tinzaouatene district on the Algerian border.
The rebels claim to have “decisively obliterated” enemy columns, seizing a large amount of equipment and weapons, and taking prisoners, with seven insurgents killed and 12 wounded.
The fighting, which began on Thursday, saw the rebels clash with the Malian army and Russian mercenaries from the Wagner Group, who have been supporting the government since 2020.
The rebels also claim to have damaged a helicopter, which crashed in Kidal, a rebel stronghold.
The Malian army confirmed that two soldiers were killed and 10 injured in the fighting, with a helicopter crash in Kidal on Friday during a routine mission, but no one was killed.
However, local officials and rebels claim that at least 15 fighters from the Wagner Group were killed or arrested, with some reports suggesting that dozens of Russian mercenaries were killed or taken prisoner.
The clash is the latest in a decade-long conflict between the government and separatist forces, who have been fighting for independence since 2012.
