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Militants killed and wounded dozens of government soldiers, as well as fighters of the Wagner PMC fighting on their side, in northern Mali.
According to the statement released by the Permanent Strategic Framework for the Defense and Protection of Azawad (CSP-PSD), the rebels seized armored vehicles, trucks, and tankers in the clashes that took place in the border town of Tin Zaouatine. They reportedly killed 53 people, including Russian Wagner troops, during clashes that lasted for 2 days on July 25-26 near the Algerian border.
The Malian army announced the deaths of two of its soldiers and the wounding of ten others. The armed forces also reported that the military killed about 20 rebels and destroyed several vehicles.
“Fierce fighting continues against the coalition of terrorists,” the statement said, as cited by AFP. The area remains “under surveillance and the situation is under special control,” the armed forces said.
The Malian armed forces, with the support of the Wagner PMCs, have intensified reconnaissance and search operations on the Algerian border Since July 20 in order to identify the positions of militants from the Azawad Coordination Movement and the Jabhat Nasr al-Islam Wal-Muslimin group affiliated with Al-Qaeda.
The operations were launched from the military base of the armed forces in Tessalit. On July 22, their assault groups raided the settlement of Afarak located to the west, where some fuel storage facilities of the rebels were destroyed; but control of the settlement was not secured.
At the same time, a military column of the Malian armed forces and the Wagner PMC reportedly consisting of about 20 vehicles moved to the east towards the rebels’ stronghold in Tin Zaouatine.
On July 23, after government forces passed the village of Bugessa, the convoy was also reportedly blown up on a mined road in the desert.
In two days, clashes began on the outskirts of Tin Zaouatine. On July 25, the armed forces reportedly managed to approach the settlement as a result of the heavy battles. The rebels suffered losses in some military positions and field commanders.
Soon, the fighting was interrupted by a sandstorm. The warring sides pulled troops away from the line of contact.
On July 26, the militants resumed the battles with attacks on government forces. The rebels transferred large reserves to the area. As a result, they concentrated a group of up to 900 militants, while the army group included less than 100 servicemen and Wagner PMCs.
The army aviation entered the battle but the aircraft were ineffective due to weather conditions. One of the Mi-24 helicopters was shot down with anti-aircraft weapons and reportedly made a hard landing in Kidal.
Government forces began to retreat from the outskirts of the city on July 27. The Jamaat Nasr al-Islam Wal-Muslimin group (part of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb), entered the battle apparently acting in coordination with the Azawad Movement. They mined the area where the fighters of the PMCs and the Armed Forces of Mali were blown up. The Tuareg rebels later approached the defeated government and Russian forces and captured prisoners.
PMC Wagner, together with the African Corps of the Russian Ministry of Defence, promptly negotiated and concluded two deals for the ransom of POWs.
