Islamic State-linked fighters have reportedly withdrawn from Menaka after clashes with the army and allied forces
Malian forces have regained control of a key city in the north of the country after pushing Islamic State-linked militants to withdraw, local sources reported on Wednesday.
The insurgents, who earlier this week had seized Menaka, located on the Niger border, retreated following clashes with the army and its allied forces, Reuters reported, citing residents and a diplomatic source.
The pullback follows a series of coordinated attacks on military targets in the West African country on Saturday by fighters from Al-Qaeda-linked Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) and the Tuareg-led Azawad Liberation Front (FLA). The authorities confirmed that Defense Minister General Sadio Camara died from injuries sustained when a suicide car bomb struck his residence during the offensive.
According to officials, Malian forces, supported by the Africa Corps, a Russian Defense Ministry unit deployed in Mali, repelled the militants’ attempt to seize military sites and key infrastructure. More than 200 militants were killed in the ensuing clashes and significant quantities of equipment were seized, Malian Chief of General Staff Oumar Diarra said on state TV on Sunday night.
Malian Prime Minister Abdoulaye Maiga said on Monday that the insurgents had attempted to overthrow the government and destabilize the country’s institutions with the “support of sponsors.” While he did not specify the sponsors, Russia’s Defense Ministry later issued a statement, alleging that the militant formations, numbering about 12,000 fighters, were trained with the involvement of Ukrainian and European mercenary instructors. It also described the assault as an attempted coup by JNIM and the FLA against Mali’s military-led government.
The former French colony has been battling a deadly insurgency for more than a decade, a crisis that has spilled into 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 transitional leader, General Assimi Goita, over the latest militant violence. The envoy reaffirmed Moscow’s commitment to assisting Mali “in the fight against international terrorism,” state broadcaster ORTM reported.
In a televised address on Tuesday, Goita said Malian armed forces had regained control of the situation and vowed to neutralize those responsible for the April 25 attacks.
