The Malian military says it has regained control of the strategic northern town of Anefis after nearly a week of intense fighting with separatist rebels and jihadist militants.
The town, located about 100 kilometres from the rebel-held city of Kidal, came under coordinated attack last Saturday by Tuareg separatists and fighters linked to the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM).
Although the attackers claimed control of Anefis, they failed to seize the military camp, where Malian troops and Russian Africa Corps paramilitary personnel continued to hold their positions.
According to a Malian military source, reinforcements arrived on Thursday evening after a convoy of dozens of military vehicles, supported by air power, successfully advanced from the city of Gao despite multiple rebel ambushes.
The Malian Armed Forces said combined air and ground operations secured the route into Anefis and enabled troops to reinforce soldiers stationed in the town. The military also claimed that nearly 100 suspected militants were killed during the operation.
However, Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, spokesperson for the Tuareg separatist Front for the Liberation of Azawad (FLA), said the group withdrew from Anefis voluntarily for strategic reasons and to avoid civilian casualties.
The latest fighting follows a major offensive launched in late April by JNIM and the FLA, during which the allied groups captured the northern city of Kidal and killed Mali’s defence minister.
Mali has been under military rule since coups in 2020 and 2021. The ruling junta pledged to restore security across the country, which has faced a jihadist insurgency and separatist violence since 2012, but insecurity continues to persist across large parts of the country.
