Mali Rebels Claim They Killed and Injured Dozens of Soldiers and Wagner Mercenaries in Clashes.

Mali's northern Tuareg rebels announced they had killed and injured dozens of soldiers and Wagner mercenaries in two days of fighting near the Algerian border. This follows the Malian army's report that two soldiers were killed, but around 20 rebels were neutralized.

The rebel group, the Permanent Strategic Framework for Peace, Security and Development (CSP-PSD), stated on Saturday that they had captured armored vehicles, trucks, and tankers during the battles in the border town of Tinzaouaten on Thursday and Friday. They also claimed to have damaged a helicopter, which subsequently crashed in Kidal, a town located hundreds of kilometers away.

The Malian army confirmed that two soldiers had been killed and ten injured. They also reported that a helicopter had crashed in Kidal on Friday during a routine mission, though no fatalities were reported.

On Sunday, several Russian military bloggers claimed that at least 20 members of the Wagner Group were killed in an ambush near the Algerian border. Semyon Pegov, a prominent Russian military blogger known as War Gonzo, mentioned that Wagner personnel moving with government troops in a convoy had been killed, with some captured. The Baza Telegram news channel, known for its connections to Russian security structures, also reported at least 20 Wagner fighters killed.

The CSP stated on Sunday that they had defeated a Malian army battalion supported by Wagner forces, claiming that the enemy was "annihilated" and that the few surviving soldiers and mercenaries were taken prisoner. They reported seven of their own fighters killed and 12 injured.

Wagner played a significant role in the intense fighting during Russia's war in Ukraine, but the group's future became uncertain after its leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, died in a plane crash in August, following a brief mutiny against the Russian defense establishment.

Mali, which has been under military rule since coups in 2020 and 2021, is grappling with a prolonged Islamist insurgency. The authorities have stated that Russian forces present in Mali are not Wagner mercenaries but trainers assisting local troops with equipment purchased from Russia.

Baza reported on Sunday that Wagner fighters have been in Mali since at least 2021.

The Tuareg, an ethnic group in the Sahara region, including northern Mali, have long felt marginalized by the Malian government. The separatist group began an insurgency against Mali's junta government in 2012, but Islamist groups later hijacked the rebellion. Although a peace agreement was signed with Bamako in 2015, the CSP-PSD withdrew from the talks at the end of 2022.