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After the first attack, some children gathered at the blast site, prompting the drone to return and launch a second attack on them.
Hashnet:
The Ihriban commercial complex in Azawad province in northern Mali, near the Algerian border, has been hit several times by military drone strikes.
The attacks targeted a small medical clinic and left the clinic owner and another person dead.
After the first attack, some children gathered at the blast site, prompting the drone to return and launch a second attack on them.
The attack killed 11 people, most of them children. Some testimonies indicate there were victims of other nationalities, including Chadians. The explosion also injured several people, but the exact number is not yet known.
The attack comes against the backdrop of an escalation since the end of last month, in which the Malian army and Wagner forces suffered heavy losses in the battle of Tinzaouaten, located on the Algerian border, against the forces of the “Algerian Permanent Strategic Framework” in “defense of the Azawadi people”.
Unarmed civilians
As a result of these losses, the border region near Algeria became the target of Malian air strikes, targeting unarmed civilians under the pretext that “Azawad forces were stationed there.”
This escalation reflects an increase in violence in the Kidal region since May last year, with an increase of more than 60 percent in July compared to June.
The African Center for Strategic Studies said it was alarming that the Wagner forces and the Malian Joint Armed Forces targeted civilians, especially nomadic populations in the Kidal region, including acts of violence against civilians by the Wagner forces and the Malian Joint Armed Forces.
The Azawad Movement was able to effectively confront the Wagner Group and the Malian Armed Forces as they advanced towards northern Tinzoatin, causing many to flee the military operations.
The Immohag Justice and Transparency group accused the Malian army and Russia’s Wagner forces of committing acts of genocide against unarmed civilians in the Azawad region of northern Mali.
Ayoub Ag Shamad, spokesman for the Justice and Transparency in Imohag group, told Sky News Arabia: “On Sunday, August 25, the Malian army carried out several airstrikes with drones in Ihbaran, one of which targeted a medical clinic, killing its owner and some children.”
Ag Samad added, “Ihriban is a commercial cluster on the Algerian financial border with shops all over the country, and it is a smuggling point between Algeria and the Azawad region.”
He continued: “The explosion, which was carried out by a drone of the Malian army, caused further casualties, with the death toll currently estimated at around 15, most of whom are children.”
“This attack, which took place a few meters from Algerian territory, is a provocative message from the Malian Coup Council to Algeria and a direct threat to its citizens across the border,” he explained.
“The military escalation in the region reflects the seriousness of the situation and increases security risks on Algeria’s borders,” he stressed.
Serious Violations
Human Rights Watch previously reported that since December 2023, the Malian Armed Forces and Wagner militants have unlawfully killed and summarily executed dozens of civilians during counterinsurgency operations in central and northern Mali.
Human Rights Watch interviewed 31 people with knowledge of events in central and northern Mali, including 20 witnesses to abuses, as well as community leaders, activists, representatives of international organizations, journalists, and academics.
On March 1, the organization wrote to Mali’s justice and defense ministers explaining its findings and asking about alleged irregularities, but received no response.
Witnesses said the Malian armed forces and the Wagner Group, a military security company with ties to Russia, committed serious violations during counter-insurgency operations against radical armed groups in several regions, including Attalla, Dakar Sibi, Diola and Ourouville.
Controlled quarantine area
Mohamed Ag Ismail, a researcher in African affairs at the University of Bamako, explained that “the Malian army’s goal is to take control of the area that separates Mali and Algeria, in order to achieve total control of the border, an area that has been outside the control of Bamako for many years. About 12 years”, adding that: With the areas of Tinzaouaten and Inafalq already under control, the Malian army will be able to cut off the paths of fugitives and ensure total control of movements through these strategic locations.
This control will have a significant impact on the strategic situation in the region as it strengthens the military influence of the Malian army and improves its ability to control the security situation.
Pointing out that securing the border with Algeria provides the Malian army with additional strategic leverage, allowing it to strengthen its control over the security situation in the region and work to tighten the noose on the Azawad movement, a measure that also helps to cut off part of the movement’s funding.
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