Illustrative image.
The separatist Tuareg Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) and al-Qaeda-affiliated Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) took heavy losses at the hands of the the Malian Armed Forces (FAMa) and the Russian Africa Corps during their recent offensive in Mali.
The offensive, which began on July 4, was spearheaded by the FLA, which attempted to seize the towns of Anefis and Aguelhok in the Kidal region, as well as the city of Gao in the Gao region the northeast of the Sahel country.
Additional attacks were reported in the city of Sévaré and the towns of Konna and Somadougou in the central Mopti region, as well as in the town of Kenieroba in the southwestern Koulikoro region, with reports indicating that JNIM was involved.
There have been also reports of an attack on Kenioroba prison, which is located about 60 kilometers southwest of the capital, Bamako.
The offensive ultimately failed, and on July 5 and 6, the FAMa and Africa Corps released several videos showing drone strikes obliterating militants and equipment from the FLA and JNIM.
The Africa Corps also announced that two senior leaders of the FLA and JNIM were among the militants killed in the failed offensive. The leaders were identified as the FLA’s chief-of-staff Mbareck Ag Akli, and Abderahmane Zaza, who was described as the “right hand man” to JNIM chief.
On the first day of the offensive, the FAMa reported that at least 163 militias had been killed. That figure has likely grown significantly since then.
The FLA and JNIM launched a similar offensive across Mali last April, and managed to make some notable gains, specifically in Kidal where the largest city was captured by the militants.
The failure of the latest offensive could drive a wedge between the two groups. Major differences already exist. JNIM seeks to replace state authority with a conservative interpretation of Islamic law, while the FLA was founded by several Tuareg movements demanding the independence or autonomy of Azawad.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence
NOW hosted at southfront.press
Previously, SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence was at southfront.org.
The .org domain name had been blocked by the US (NATO) (https://southfront.press/southfront-org-blocked-by-u-s-controlled-global-internet-supervisor/) globally, outlawed and without any explanation
Back before that, from 2013 to 2015, SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence was at southfront.com
