Al Qaeda branch says it killed 50 Russian mercenaries, 10 Malian soldiers in Mali

An al Qaeda affiliate said it killed 50 Russian Wagner mercenaries and 10 Malian soldiers in an ambush in Mali's northern Kidal region near the border with Algeria on Saturday, according to the SITE Intelligence Group.

The ambush occurred on the same day a Tuareg rebel movement known as the Permanent Strategic Framework for Peace, Security and Development (CSP-PSD) said it had killed and injured dozens of Malian soldiers and Wagner mercenaries during days of fighting at the border town of Tinzaouaten.

The death toll is a significant blow, amounting to what appears to be Wagner's heaviest defeat since it stepped in two years ago to help Mali's junta fight Islamist groups that have been waging insurgencies across the Sahel region since 2012.

Mali, where the army seized power in coups in 2020 and 2021, has said Russian forces there are not Wagner mercenaries but trainers helping local troops with equipment bought from Russia.

However, Wagner said in a rare statement on Monday that its fighters battled alongside Malian soldiers from July 22-27 near Tinzaouaten and suffered heavy losses, including the death of their commander Sergei Shevchenko.

Several Russian military bloggers reported at least 20 Wagner deaths.



Reuters