21 Killed in Mali Drone Airstrikes, Rebel Group Blames Military

At least 21 people were killed in a drone attack on Sunday in Tinzaouaten, a town in northern Mali near the Algerian border. The toll included 11 children, with dozen other citizens injured. The attack targeted a pharmacy and gatherings of people, according to Reuters.

The drone strikes come amid ongoing conflict in the region, where both Tuareg rebels and Islamist fighters are active. The rebel coalition, known as the Strategic Framework for the Defence of the People of Azawad (CSP-DPA), blamed the Malian army and Russian Wagner mercenaries for the attack. They also suggested that neighbouring Burkina Faso operated the drone.

This incident followed earlier airstrikes by Mali’s military in the same area, after Tuareg and Islamist fighters launched a deadly attack on Malian soldiers and Wagner mercenaries in July. The July battle resulted in heavy losses for both Mali’s army and Wagner forces, with rebels claiming to have killed dozens of soldiers and mercenaries.

Neither Mali’s military nor Wagner has confirmed the death toll from the recent fighting.

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