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Africa North

Russian African Corps helped the Malian army retake the city of Kidal

2026-10-09

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Regnum] Malian armed forces, with the support of Russian Afrika Korps units, have regained control of the northern city of Kidal, which had been under the control of armed groups since April. The Afrika Korps press service reported this on October 8.

The operation lasted from October 1 to 7. Malian and Russian troops, supported by the allied GATIA and MSA forces, traveled more than 450 km from the city of Gao, including through mined areas, and captured several settlements.

Air forces carried out strikes on militant positions and rear facilities. Specifically, 30 kilometers west of Kidal, a detachment preparing an ambush for an allied convoy was discovered and destroyed.

According to the Afrika Korps, the FLA

… from the French name for the group, Azawad Liberation Front (ALF) in English: the current iteration (since 2024) of the Islamist Tuareg liberation movement in northern Mali, which has been known to team up with JNIM, the Saharan branch of Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. Algeria, Mauritania, France, drone operators from the Ukrainian Main Directorate of Intelligence (HUR), and the Qatari royal family are said to be supporters…

and JNIM (the latter affiliated with al-Qaeda, a terrorist organization banned in Russia) suffered heavy losses and retreated. Malian and Russian units entered Kidal from several directions.

The Afrika Korps noted that the recapture of the city has not only military but also political significance, as Kidal is considered one of the symbols of Mali's statehood in the north of the country.

The military is currently completing the cleanup of the city, demining the area, and providing humanitarian aid to local residents.

In April, Afrika Korps units helped Malian authorities repel an attempted coup. Around 12,000 militants, trained with instructors from Europe and Ukraine, simultaneously attacked several cities across the country, including Kidal. Russian troops engaged the attackers and helped maintain control of the capital.

Posted by:badanov

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