Malian army and Russian paramilitaries regain control of Anéfis after clashes with Tuareg separatists
via SeneNews2 min read
The Malian army and Russian paramilitaries from the Africa Corps group have retaken the northern Malian town of Anéfis following days of fighting against Tuareg separatists. Rebels and a military source announced the recapture on Friday. On July 4, jihadists from the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims JNIM, affiliated with Al-Qaeda, and the predominantly Tuareg separatists of the Azawad Liberation Front FLA had launched attacks across the country, claiming control of Anéfis. Russian paramilitaries from Africa Corps and some Malian soldiers, entrenched in a military camp in Anéfis since July 4, continued to fight their assailants, primarily FLA members. Russian and Malian army reinforcements arrived on Thursday evening, reclaiming the town, which is located about 100 kilometers from the strategic city of Kidal, controlled by separatists and JNIM. A Malian military source stated that Malian troops and their Africa Corps partners broke through obstacles to reinforce troops already in Anéfis. A convoy of dozens of military vehicles with air support departed from Gao and reached Anéfis despite attacks from the FLA/JNIM coalition en route. The Malian armed forces reported on Facebook that air-ground operations secured the route and the convoy's entry into the locality, neutralizing "nearly a hundred" fighters despite several clashes and ambushes. FLA spokesperson Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane confirmed their decision to leave Anéfis strategically to avoid civilian casualties.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by SeneNews.
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