The Malian military launched a series of overnight airstrikes on the northern stronghold of Kidal this Thursday.
Commanders in Mopti confirmed the operation, signaling a strategic shift to intensify strikes against rebel-held positions in the coming days.
Kidal remains under the firm control of Tuareg separatists and Al-Qaeda-linked militants following a massive coordinated offensive last month.
Witnesses reported four distinct aerial bombardments that destroyed residential structures near an old market and scarred the governor’s office.
The strategic desert town fell silent after the raids, with residents describing a heavy stillness across the usually vibrant streets.
This military escalation follows the April 25 assault by an unprecedented alliance of the Azawad Liberation Front and JNIM fighters.
That broad insurgent offensive resulted in the death of Mali’s influential Defense Minister, Sadio Camara, at his residence in Kati.
The rebel coalition has since imposed a tightening blockade on the capital, Bamako, crippling essential supply lines across the nation.
Tuareg forces continue their decades-long struggle for autonomy, finding a lethal, pragmatic partner in extremist groups to challenge state authority.
Humanitarian agencies warn that the escalating violence has disrupted critical health services and telecommunications for thousands of vulnerable desert inhabitants.
