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At least seven mercenaries from Russia’s Wagner private military contractor group were killed in an attack in central Mali, according to SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors extremist activities.
The attack, claimed by Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an affiliate of al Qaeda in North Africa, occurred on Thursday.
JNIM stated that its forces not only killed the Wagner mercenaries but also seized weapons during the assault.
A video circulating online, reviewed by Reuters, shows the bodies of at least five men in army fatigues near a military vehicle, but the video’s authenticity has not been independently verified.
This incident underscores the ongoing dangers for mercenaries and military forces operating in West Africa’s Sahel region, where militant groups affiliated with Islamic State and al Qaeda have expanded their reach over the past decade.
Mali, alongside Burkina Faso and Niger, continues to struggle with separatists and Islamist insurgencies that have occupied large parts of the region.
Wagner, which has played a prominent role in supporting military juntas in the Sahel, previously suffered heavy casualties in July during clashes with Tuareg rebels and Islamist groups near Mali’s border with Algeria.
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Photos shared by SITE Intelligence purportedly from JNIM showed bloodied, lifeless bodies of soldiers and several boxes of arms and ammunition.
A spokesperson for the Malian army could not be reached for comment.
A Malian army source said he saw seven dead bodies including Russian fighters, while two local administrators confirmed the attack. One of them said five Wagner fighters were killed.
A consultant working on security in the region said the attack was carried out by Katiba Macina, a branch of JNIM, and that at least six Russians had been killed.
Reuters
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