At least 13 people were killed in an overnight drone strike by Mali's military near the border with Mauritania, according to local human rights campaigners and a separatist armed faction. Mali's armed forces confirmed on Wednesday that they had targeted terrorists "gathered under cover."
Details of the Strike
The strike hit two tents and killed 13 people in their sleep, including women and children, said Tilla Ag Zeini, secretary-general of the Kal Akal Association. The bombing occurred overnight between Sunday and Monday in the town of Hassi Laghdaf, near the Mauritanian border.
Ag Zeini said the motorcycles belonged to a family of civilians from the Tuareg community, whom he described as "peaceful."
Military Statement
The Malian military statement said: "They had taken care to hide their motorcycles in an isolated location separate from their gathering place. After confirming the target, the position was successfully struck."
Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, a spokesperson for the Azawad Liberation Front, shared images on social media purportedly depicting the remnants of the tents and a list of those reportedly killed. The Associated Press was unable to immediately verify the photographs.
Broader Context
Mali has experienced more than a decade of violence involving al-Qaida-linked militants, including the JNIM alliance, Islamic State-affiliated fighters, and a Tuareg separatist uprising in the north. Human Rights Watch stated in a report released earlier this month that Malian armed forces and their allies have responded to escalating attacks with counter-insurgency operations that frequently put civilians in harm's way.
The organisation added that all parties involved in the conflict "are committing grave laws-of-war violations" and that "civilians are bearing the brunt of the Mali junta's failure to rein in its abusive forces and allies." Mali is part of the Sahel, a region south of the Sahara Desert that has become a centre of extremist violence in recent years.
