Russia's Wagner mercenary group said on Monday it had suffered severe losses, including a commander, during battles with separatist forces in northeast Mali last week. The West African nation, which has been actively fighting insurgent jihadist and separatist forces in its north for over a decade, turned to Wagner for support after a military junta came to power in 2020. From July 22 to 27, the Malian armed forces and fighters from Wagner's 13th Assault Squad "fought fierce battles" against a coalition of Tuareg separatist forces and jihadist militants, according to a statement from Razgruzka Vagnera, a Telegram channel linked to Wagner's leadership. A spokesman for the CSP-DPA alliance, a coalition including mainly Tuareg separatist forces, claimed victory over Mali's army and Wagner on Sunday. Mali's military leaders, who seized power in a coup, have made it a stated priority to retake the entire country from separatist and jihadist forces, particularly Kidal, a pro-independence bastion in the north.

Source: The Hindu July 29, 2024 23:54 UTC