Mali: Drone shooting at Algerian border kills at least six civilians (elected officials, rebels)

At least six civilians were killed in drone shooting in the northern Malian town of Tinzaouatne on Tuesday, AFP reported, as the Malian army and its Russian allies suffered a major setback and heavy losses in their battle against elected officials and separatists on Saturday.

“Drones killed at least six civilians on Tuesday, some of whom were of Sudanese, Nigerian and Chadian nationality,” a local elected official told AFP. Another elected official accused the Malian army and its Russian allies of “launching drones to attack civilians, killing 10 people.”

“The Malian army, accompanied by (its Russian ally) Wagner, opened fire with drones on civilian gold miners working in a mine on the Algerian border,” Mohamed Elmaouloud, a spokesman for the Permanent Strategic Framework (CSP) separatists, told AFP.

The shootings left “dozens of people dead, mainly Nigerian Hausa and Chadians,” added Elmaouloud of the dominant Tuareg alliance, the CSP. A Malian source who spoke to AFP said the “drone targeted and reached a pickup truck with a load of people on board.”

terrorists and their weapons,” without providing further details.
The Malian army and its Russian allies suffered one of their biggest setbacks in years in northern Mali on Saturday, suffering heavy losses following battles with separatist rebels and attacks by jihadists.
If no formal report has been issued, the Malian army has acknowledged “significant deaths” in Tinzaouatena, and a Telegram channel linked to the Wagner militia confirmed the losses in their ranks and the death of a commander.
The separatists claimed a “complete victory” with one of their leaders saying dozens of Russians were killed, while the Qatari-affiliated JNIM jihadists claimed to have killed 50 Russians and 10 Malians.
Since 2012, Mali has also been plagued by actions by affiliated groups Al-Qaeda and Islamic State, as well as violence by communal and criminal groups.

The divisive behavior of the military junta led by Colonel Assimi Gota has increased since 2022. They broke the old alliance with France and its European partners and turned to Russia militarily and politically.

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