![Colonel Assimi Goita, head of Mali's military government, attends a ceremony for the 10 Malian soldiers that the army said were killed in attacks in Gueri town, at the army headquarters in Kati, Mali, September 6, 2020 [Matthieu Rosier/Reuters]](https://titapost.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Mali-military.webp)
Five soldiers have been reported dead and eleven others are missing following an attack on two military camps in northern Mali. The attack, claimed by armed rebel groups, highlights the escalating insecurity in the region, which has seen a resurgence of activity by armed groups and separatists in recent weeks.
The army confirmed the casualties on social media and also revealed the loss of a plane during the fighting in the town of Lere, located in the Timbuktu region of northern Mali. The assailants, described as “terrorists” by the army, reportedly suffered heavy losses, with around 30 of them neutralized during the attack on Sunday.
The Coordination of Azawad Movements (CMA), an alliance of armed groups predominantly composed of Tuaregs seeking autonomy or independence, claimed responsibility for the attack. The CMA also announced that it had taken control of the two military camps in Lere and successfully shot down an army plane.
This incident is the latest in a series of attacks targeting army positions in northern Mali. Earlier this month, the armed group CAM seized a military camp in Bourem, situated between the historic cities of Gao and Timbuktu.
The conflict in Mali dates back to the 2012 rebel insurrection, which allowed armed groups affiliated with al-Qaeda to gain control over most of the northern region. This led to a military intervention by France and plunged the Sahel into a protracted war that has claimed thousands of lives.
The recent surge in military activities by Tuareg-dominated separatist groups coincides with the ongoing withdrawal of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA). The military government, which took power after two coups in 2020 and 2021, has been pushing for the departure of MINUSMA after its ten-year deployment. However, the separatists believe that the camps should be returned to their control.
It is worth noting that there are reports suggesting that the Malian government is collaborating with the Russian paramilitary company Wagner to address the country’s security challenges, although the government denies these claims. Additionally, a recent report by United Nations experts revealed that the armed group ISIL (ISIS) has nearly doubled its territorial presence in Mali in less than a year, further exacerbating the security situation in the country.