Twenty-one civilians killed in Mali drone strikes: Separatist group

Mali’s army, which has been warring with the separatist groups successful the northbound of the country, confirms the attack.

At slightest 21 people, including 11 children, person been killed successful drone attacks successful the municipality of Tinzaouaten successful bluish Mali.

A spokesperson for the conjugation of Tuareg-majority groups warring for independency successful bluish Mali said connected Monday that the drones deed a pharmacy and a radical of people, leaving dozens wounded.

Mali’s service confirmed the drone attacks connected nationalist television, saying the “precision strikes targeted terrorists”.

Tinzaouaten has witnessed aerial attacks earlier and arsenic precocious arsenic July erstwhile the Tuareg-led groups claimed to person killed a ample fig of Malian soldiers and Russian Wagner Group mercenaries.

The separatists said they killed astatine slightest 47 soldiers and 84 Wagner mercenaries successful the July attacks, but the service did not corroborate that decease toll.

After the attack, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reiterated Moscow’s “firm support” for Mali and its army.

The service has claimed that the Wagner fighters are successful the state lone arsenic “instructors” helping the service train.

Ksenia, the girl of a fallen combatant of Russia’s Wagner Group, stands successful beforehand of a makeshift memorial during a commemoration ceremonial held to wage tribute to the radical mercenaries killed successful Mali by bluish Tuareg rebels, successful cardinal Moscow, Russia August 4, 2024 [Yulia Morozova/Reuters]

Rida Lyammouri, a elder chap astatine the Policy Center for the New South, a Moroccan deliberation tank, told The Associated Press quality bureau that Malian forces and Russian mercenaries deficiency a “strong presence” connected the crushed successful the region, making drones the lone mode to attack.

“Therefore aerial strikes, including against civilians, are expected to summation arsenic an enactment of revenge pursuing the caller large setback to Wagner mercenaries successful bluish Mali,” Lyammouri said.

Since a subject coup successful 2020, Mali’s service has been warring for power of the country.

In summation to separatists, Mali has been dealing with al-Qaeda-backed equipped groups for years aft they hijacked a Tuareg rebellion successful 2012.

After an eight-year intermission successful hostilities, warring resumed betwixt the service and rebels successful August 2023.

Under Colonel Assimi Goita’s rule, the subject authorities broke disconnected from its allies and erstwhile assemblage ruler France and turned to Russia, which led to the deployment of Wagner mercenaries.

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Al Jazeera and quality agencies