Most of the soldiers were captured in connection with the escalation of violence in the country in April, when the militant jihadist group JNIM, together with separatist Tuaregs, launched attacks against the ruling military junta.
The information about the release is confirmed by both the army and a spokesperson for the separatists.
According to the latter, the soldiers were released on humanitarian grounds. Some have reportedly been held captive since 2023 and 118 Malian soldiers remain detained.
During the spring, attacks were directed at targets in the capital, Bamako. The junta's defense minister, Sadio Camara, was killed, and in the north, the Malian military's Russian-allied forces were forced to leave the important city of Kidal.
