Rebels from the Tuareg tribe said that in recent days have killed and wounded dozens of soldiers from the Malian regular army, as well as mercenaries of the Russian private military company “Wagner“ in the border area between Mali and Algeria, reported Reuters, quoted by BTA.
Earlier, Mali's regular army said it had lost two people in fighting with the rebels, which left 20 dead.
In a statement, the rebels said there had been fighting in the border town of Tinzahuaten on Thursday and Friday, and that the Tuareg had seized armored cars, trucks and tanks. The statement also said that a regular army helicopter was hit and later crashed hundreds of kilometers from the site of the fighting.
The Malian army said it lost only two people and wounded 10 soldiers. The army added that its helicopter did crash, but that it was on a routine mission near the town of Kidal and there were no casualties.
The Tuareg are an ethnic group that inhabits the Sahara region, including some northern parts of Mali. Many members of this ethnic group feel marginalized by the Malian government. In 2012, they began attacking the ruling military junta, but the leadership of the rebel movement was later captured by Islamists.