Mali’s government announced on Sunday that a senior Tuareg rebel commander, Fahad Ag Almahmoud, and several other rebels were killed in a drone strike on Tinzaouaten, a northern town under the control of the rebel coalition known as the Permanent Strategic Framework for the Defence of the People of Azawad (CSP-DPA).
Sources witnessed the strike on Tinzaouaten, located on the border with Algeria. The town had recently hosted meetings of Tuareg factions aiming to form a unified political and military structure.
Chodi Ag, a mission manager at Mali’s communications ministry, confirmed the attack in a Facebook post, stating, “Several CSP cadres were killed, including the notorious Fahad Ag Almahmoud.” Almahmoud, a key figure within the CSP alliance, was instrumental in coordinating its factions and representing them in peace discussions with the government.
The strike comes amid renewed fighting in northern Mali following the collapse of a 2015 peace agreement in July this year. The agreement’s failure reignited hostilities between separatist groups, largely dominated by ethnic Tuaregs, and the Malian government. This resurgence of violence included a fierce battle around Tinzaouaten that left dozens of Malian soldiers and Wagner mercenaries dead.
A military source, speaking anonymously, described the operation as targeting “terrorist leaders,” though the Malian army has yet to officially comment on the attack.
Since the July conflict, Tinzaouaten has witnessed multiple drone strikes, resulting in significant civilian casualties, including children, healthcare workers, and residents. The escalating violence underscores the fragile state of northern Mali, with separatist and Islamist insurgencies further destabilizing the region.
