On Tuesday, armed separatist rebels in Mali reported that a drone strike by the Malian army had killed seven of their members the previous day in the violence-stricken northern part of the country.
According to a statement released by the separatist coalition CSP-DPA, led predominantly by Tuaregs, the strike on Monday targeted two of their vehicles.
The Malian army had announced on Monday that it had destroyed “two vehicles, loaded with war material belonging to armed terrorist groups, around 80 kilometres (50 miles) north of the town of Anefis.”
Separatist rebels, a local elected official, and an NGO representative claimed that drone strikes on Sunday in Tinzaouatene, near the Algerian border, resulted in the deaths of around 20 civilians, including several children.
In response, the army stated that it had targeted “terrorist positions” and killed “around 20 armed individuals” during the operation.
Tinzaouatene was also the scene of a major battle in late July, where separatists and jihadists claimed to have dealt a heavy blow to the Malian army and the Russian paramilitary group Wagner.
Since the 2020 coup, Mali’s military rulers have prioritised regaining control of the country from separatists and insurgent factions linked to Al-Qaeda and ISIS.
Since 2023, armed separatist groups have lost control of several northern towns following a Malian army offensive that culminated in the capture of Kidal, a stronghold and major point of contention for the central government.
Under Colonel Assimi Goita, the junta ended a long-standing alliance with France and European partners and instead sought support from Russia and its Wagner mercenary group.
Mali’s northern offensive has been accompanied by numerous allegations of civilian abuses by the army and its Russian allies since 2022, though the Malian authorities deny these accusations.