Fighters linked to the Islamic State have reportedly left Menaka after clashes with the army and allied forces
Malian forces have regained control of a key town in the north of the country after pushing militants linked to Islamic State out, local sources reported on Wednesday.
The rebels, who earlier this week captured Menaka, on the border with Niger, retreated following clashes with the army and its allies, Reuters reported, citing residents and a diplomatic source.
The move follows a series of coordinated attacks against military targets in the West African country on Saturday by fighters from the Al-Qaeda group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) and the Tuareg-led Azawad Liberation Group (FLA). Authorities confirmed that Defense Minister General Sadio Camara died from injuries sustained when a suicide car rammed his residence during the attack.
According to officials, Malian forces, supported by the Africa Corps, a unit of the Russian Ministry of Defense deployed in Mali, prevented the militants’ attempt to capture military areas and important infrastructure. More than 200 militants were killed in the ensuing clashes and a large amount of equipment was seized, Mali’s Chief of Staff Oumar Diarra said on state TV Sunday night.
Mali’s Prime Minister Abdoulaye Maiga said on Monday that the rebels tried to overthrow the government and destabilize the country’s institutions and “donor support.” Although he did not name the sponsors, the Russian Defense Ministry later issued a statement, claiming that the militia groups, numbering about 12,000 fighters, were trained by the participation of mercenary teachers from Ukraine and Europe. It also described the attack as an attempted coup by JNIM and FLA against the Malian army-led government.
The former French colony has been battling a deadly insurgency for more than a decade, a conflict that has spread to neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger despite years of French military operations in the region. All three countries have expelled French forces, accused Paris of supporting terrorists and turned to Russia for security assistance.
On Tuesday, Russian Ambassador Igor Gromyko held talks in Bamako with Mali’s interim leader, General Assimi Goita, about the latest militant violence. The envoy emphasized Moscow’s commitment to help Mali “in the fight against international terrorism,” state broadcaster ORTM reported.
In his televised speech on Tuesday, Goita said that the Malian military has regained control of the situation and vowed to eliminate those responsible for the April 25 attacks.
