The Wagner mercenary group reported on Monday that its fighters, alongside Malian troopers, suffered casualties throughout intense clashes with Tuareg rebels close to Mali’s border with Algeria. Regardless of claims by Malian authorities that Russian forces within the nation are trainers quite than mercenaries, Wagner confirmed its involvement within the preventing, which noticed vital losses on each side.
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Russia’s Wagner mercenary group mentioned on Monday that its fighters and Malian troopers took losses in heavy preventing in opposition to Tuareg rebels close to Mali’s border with Algeria.
Mali, the place navy authorities seized energy in coups in 2020 and 2021, is battling a years-long Islamist insurgency. It has mentioned Russian forces there should not Wagner mercenaries however trainers serving to native troops with tools purchased from Russia.
See extraFirst photographs of Wagner Group working in Mali hit social media
The insurgent motion, the Everlasting Strategic Framework for Peace, Safety and Improvement (CSP-PSD), mentioned on Saturday that it had seized armoured autos, vehicles and tankers within the preventing on the border city of Tinzaouaten.
Wagner, in a uncommon assertion, mentioned its forces had fought alongside Mali troopers from July 22-27 and that Wagner fighters had been commanded by Sergei Shevchenko, whose callsign was “Pond”, close to Tinzaouaten.
Learn extraMali rebels declare takeover of vacated UN base close to strategic city of Kidal
“On the primary day, the ‘Pond group’ destroyed many of the Islamists and put the remaining to flight,” Wagner mentioned on Telegram.
“Nevertheless, (an) ensuing sandstorm allowed the radicals to regroup and improve their numbers to 1,000 individuals.”
Wagner mentioned its fighters once more repulsed an assault however that beneath huge insurgent fireplace, there had been losses amongst Wagner and the Malian military.
The final message from the Wagner group on July 27 was: “The three of us stayed. We proceed to struggle.”
Wagner mentioned Shevchenko was killed. The Malian military mentioned in statements on the weekend that two of its troopers had been killed and 10 injured. One in every of its helicopters had crashed in Kidal on Friday whereas on a routine mission however nobody was killed, it mentioned.
(Reuters)
