An attack on two military camps in northern Mali, claimed by armed rebel groups, resulted in the deaths of five soldiers, with 11 others reported as missing, according to the army’s statement on Monday evening.
The army posted on social media that it had suffered the loss of an aircraft during the conflict in the town of Lere, situated in the Timbuktu Region of northern Mali.
Approximately 30 assailants were “neutralized” during the attack on Sunday, which the army attributed to “terrorists.”
The Coordination of Azawad Movements (CMA), an alliance primarily comprised of Tuareg-dominated armed groups that initiated an armed struggle in 2012, seeking autonomy or independence, claimed responsibility for the attack that occurred on Sunday.
Additionally, the CMA asserted that it had seized control of two military camps in Lere and successfully downed an army aircraft.
Following the attack, conflicting reports emerged from both sides, with one account stating that the attackers departed voluntarily, while the other claimed that they were pursued and expelled from the area by the army, with air force support.
This incident marked the most recent assault on military positions in northern Mali, where there has been a resurgence of activity by various armed groups, including separatists and jihadists, in recent weeks.
The rebel insurrection in 2012 opened the door for armed groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda to seize control of the majority of northern Mali and leading to a military intervention by France and plunged the Sahel region into a protracted conflict that has resulted in the loss of thousands of lives.
