Mali Military Drone Strike Kills 13 Civilians, Activists Say

Mali's military conducted a drone strike that killed at least 13 civilians earlier this week near the Mauritania border, according to local human rights activists and a separatist armed group. The Malian military, however, stated on Wednesday that the strike targeted terrorists who were “gathered under cover.”

A local human rights official reported that a Tuareg camp in the town of Hassi Laghdaf was bombed overnight Sunday into Monday. The official, Tilla Ag Zeini, secretary-general of the Kal Akal Association, said the bombs struck two tents and resulted in the deaths of 13 people, including women and children, who were sleeping at the time. Zeini described the Tuareg community as "peaceful."

Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, a spokesperson for the Azawad Liberation Front, a separatist group in northern Mali, shared images on social media that he claimed showed the aftermath of the attack, along with a list of alleged fatalities. The Associated Press has not yet independently verified these images.

Mali has grappled with an insurgency for over a decade, involving militants linked to al-Qaida, such as the JNIM alliance, and fighters affiliated with the Islamic State group, as well as a Tuareg separatist rebellion in the north. The landlocked country is part of the Sahel region, south of the Sahara Desert, which has become a focal point for extremist violence in recent years.

Human Rights Watch noted in a report earlier this month that Malian armed forces and their allies have engaged in counterinsurgency operations in central and northern Mali in response to escalating attacks. These operations have frequently resulted in harm to civilians. The organization also stated that all parties involved in the conflict are committing "grave laws-of-war violations" and that the Malian junta's failure to control its forces and allies means civilians are bearing the brunt of the violence.