BAMAKO, Mali — Separatist fighters in Mali announced Friday they have seized control of a crucial military installation in the northern community of Tessalit following the departure of government forces and their Russian partners, marking another significant blow during the most extensive militant offensive in more than a decade.
The announcement from the Azawad Liberation Front represents the newest challenge facing Mali’s military leadership, which earlier this week lost control of the major urban center of Kidal during coordinated strikes that resulted in the death of Defense Minister Sadio Camara.
Regional sources indicated that government troops and Russia’s Africa Corp personnel began evacuating Tessalit on Thursday. The Azawad Liberation Front, known as FLA, has been conducting operations alongside the al-Qaeda-affiliated Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, referred to as JNIM.
Top FLA commander Achafghi Ag Bouhanda declared the takeover of the Tessalit installation through an online video statement. The facility holds significant importance due to its proximity to an airfield and the Algerian border.
The Associated Press was unable to verify independently the circumstances at the installation, situated in a region with limited internet connectivity. Government officials in Mali have not yet provided responses to inquiries seeking comment.
The broader Sahel area below the Sahara Desert, encompassing Mali and other conflict-affected states, has become a center for violent extremism. Jihadi organizations have intensified their campaigns against Mali’s military government and the military leadership of neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger in recent years.
These three nations, governed by military leaders who overthrew civilian administrations through recent takeovers, have ended security partnerships with Western allies and shifted toward Russia for defense assistance.
The current offensive in Mali commenced Saturday when jihadist and separatist groups coordinated to strike the primary international airport in Bamako, the capital, along with additional communities in synchronized assaults using motorcycles and vehicles.
Since that time, militants have targeted no fewer than 10 locations, compelling Malian and Russian troops to abandon the strategic northern city of Kidal, previously a separatist stronghold.
