In northern Mali, Tuareg rebels reported on Saturday that they had inflicted casualties on several government soldiers and Russian Wagner Group mercenaries during a two-day clash near the Algerian border. The Malian military confirmed the deaths of two soldiers and injuries to 10 others.
The CSP-PSD rebel movement declared on Saturday that they had seized armored vehicles, trucks, and tankers during the confrontations in Tinzaouaten on Thursday and Friday. They also claimed responsibility for damaging a helicopter that later crashed in Kidal, hundreds of kilometers away.
The Malian army verified that two soldiers were killed and 10 were injured, noting that a helicopter crashed in Kidal during a routine mission on Friday, July 26, 2024, though there were no casualties from the crash.
In Mali, local fighters defeated a large attack group of the Russian Military Contingent “Wagner” that tried to attack one of the cities they controlled.
During the battle, the mercenaries lost several MRAP armored vehicles and a Mi-24 helicopter pic.twitter.com/p8ZD8kI4kI
— TOGA (@TOGAjano21) July 27, 2024
Videos shared on social media depicted motionless bodies of several white men and Malian soldiers lying near wrecked vehicles. Reports from Russian military bloggers indicated that approximately 20 Wagner Group members were killed in an ambush near the Algerian border. These reports, however, remain unverified independently.
Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, spokesperson for the pro-independence CSP-DPA coalition, stated in a press release that a fierce two-day battle occurred near Tinzawaten village, resulting in the “rebels successfully defeating the Malian army and Russian mercenaries.” Ramadane mentioned that “the enemy suffered significant casualties in both personnel and equipment, with many dead and injured.” He also noted that “several Malian soldiers and Wagner group mercenaries surrendered to the Tuareg fighters.”
The Tuareg people inhabit the Sahara region, with some residing in northern Mali, and often feel marginalized by the Malian government. In 2012, a separatist group launched an insurgency against Mali’s junta government, which was later overtaken by Islamist factions.
Wagner contractors have been operating in Mali since at least 2021 and were deeply engaged in conflicts during Russia’s involvement in the war in Ukraine. However, their future became uncertain following the death of their commander Yevgeny Prigozhin in a plane accident in August 2023, after a brief uprising against the Russian armed forces.
Mali, grappling with political turmoil from recent coups, continues to battle a persistent Islamist rebellion with the support of Russian troops, who are characterized as instructors rather than mercenaries.
