The Malian Army has reported the "neutralization" of at least 50 alleged terrorists during a new series of bombings, carried out as part of its response to the large-scale offensive launched on April 25 by the Al Qaeda branch in the Sahel and the Tuareg separatists of the Front for the Liberation of Azawad (FLA).
In a statement disseminated on social media, the Malian Armed Forces detail that one of the attacks targeted "a refuge used by armed terrorist groups" in the vicinity of Doro, near Gao, in the north of the country, where "about twenty" suspects, whose identities have not been specified, were allegedly "neutralized."
The text adds that a second bombing hit "an important base" used by alleged combatants in Sandaré, in the western region of Kayes, with a toll of "about thirty neutralized," while other additional attacks were also directed at the Doro area, without the Army having provided concrete casualty figures for these latter cases at the moment.
In parallel, the Africa Corps -- formerly Group Wagner and currently under the orbit of the Russian Ministry of Defense -- stressed in another statement published on social media that "the situation in Mali has not changed and remains under the control of the Malian government and allied forces."
According to this force, operations continue "to locate terrorist formations, patrol populated areas, and escort convoys," and they confirmed a clash with "terrorists" in Mourdiah, in the center of the country. "The terrorists tried to avoid contact and retreat, but not all of them succeeded," the message concluded.
On the ground, the conflict continues to be marked by volatility and sporadic clashes, after the regional branch of Al Qaeda called in early May for a "united front" to overthrow the military junta that has governed the country since 2020 and open "a peaceful and inclusive transition," despite the fact that days earlier the transitional president, Assimi Goita, had assured that everything was "under control."
Currently, Mali is led by a military junta that emerged from the coups d'état of August 2020 and May 2021, both led by Goita. Since then, the Bamako authorities have strengthened ties with Russia and have distanced themselves from their traditional Western partners, including France, the former colonial power in the region.