The al-Qaeda-affiliated group JNIM claims to have killed 50 soldiers from the Russian Wagner group in an attack near Mali's border with Algeria.
The number appears to be accurate, judging by video clips from the site, according to Wassim Nasir, an analyst at the international think tank Soufan Center for the news agency AP.
The rebel coalition CSP-DPA, which mainly consists of Tuareg separatists, claims to have achieved significant successes during three days of intense fighting in the Tinzaouatene district against the Malian army and its Russian allies.
Wagner confirmed on Monday that it had lost soldiers, without specifying how many, in battles with hundreds of rebels and jihadists. The Malian army also acknowledges that "a large number" of its soldiers were killed in battles in northern Mali last week.
The Wagner group has been present in Mali since the end of 2021, following a military coup. Mali's new government forced out France and international peacekeeping forces – and instead turned to Russian Wagner for military support.
