Mali’s army conducted an airstrike on a market in the country’s northern region that killed at least 18 people, according to a Tuareg separatist group, while military officials claim the attack targeted armed militants.
The Collective for the Defense of the Rights of the Azawad People, part of a Tuareg separatist coalition, reported the strike occurred approximately 50 kilometers north of Lerneb in the Timbuktu region. The group’s statement released late Monday described the incident as a “barbaric act from another age” and noted that seven additional people were injured in Sunday’s attack.
Mali’s army contradicted this account, stating on social media platform X that it conducted airstrikes on a “refuge” in the area, resulting in the deaths of 11 “terrorists.”
The conflicting reports emerge amid ongoing violence in Mali, where the government has battled an insurgency for more than a decade involving various armed groups, including some affiliated with al-Qaida and the Islamic State. Following a military coup in 2021, Mali’s interim leadership under President Assimi Goita expelled French forces and turned to Russian security assistance, though the army continues to face challenges in curbing regional violence.
This incident follows accusations last month from the Front for the Liberation of Azawad that Mali’s army and Russian mercenaries from the Wagner group “coldly executed” at least 24 people in northern Mali.
Security analysts suggest the contradictory casualty information could result from military operations targeting militants in civilian areas, noting that jihadi fighters often visit markets for supplies. Others point out that both the army and separatist groups may characterize casualties differently to support their respective positions in the ongoing conflict.
Mali’s northern region has experienced persistent instability as separatist movements and various armed groups compete for control while the military government struggles to establish security throughout the country.
