Mali’s armed forces have secured the strategic northern town of Anefis after a Tuareg-led separatist group, the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), withdrew from the area.
Background
The FLA, along with the regional al Qaeda affiliate, Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), had launched attacks on army positions across Mali, including Anefis, over the weekend.
The town of Anefis is a crucial link between Gao, the north’s biggest city, and the town of Kidal, which was seized by FLA fighters earlier this year.
A spokesperson for the FLA, Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, stated that the group’s fighters had decided to withdraw after a week of clashes with military convoys coming from Gao.
Military Operations
Mali’s armed forces, in a statement, said they were continuing joint operations with Russia’s paramilitary Africa Corps across the country.
In the previous 24 hours, the army had conducted 15 airstrikes, destroying 12 combat vehicles and killing around 100 insurgents, according to the statement.
The army also said its operations had made it possible to secure the route to Anefis.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
