(https://rybar.ru/piwigo/upload/2024/07/28/20240728125139-e7550c37.jpg)>❗️ Intensification of fighting in northern Mali: ambush on Wagner PMC and death of @grey_zone admin
Since July 20th, the Malian armed forces, supported by the Wagner PMC, have intensified reconnaissance and search operations on the Algerian border. The activities were carried out with limited forces in order to identify the positions of militants from the "Coordination Movement of Azawad" and the Al-Qaeda affiliated group "Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin".
▪️On July 22nd, the advance groups carried out a raid in In-Afarak: only fuel depots were found in the settlement. After the army's retreat, which had managed to announce the village's capture, the Tuareg rebels again occupied the settlement.
At the same time, a convoy of up to 20 vehicles was moving towards the town of Tin-Zautin - the last major stronghold of the Azawad militants in this direction.
▪️On July 23rd, government forces reached Bougessa. As the column advanced towards the target, it was hit by an IED planted by the separatists in the Wadi Tamassaharit valley.
▪️On July 25th, government forces clashed with Azawad rebels 20 kilometers from the city. The first day of the battle brought its results: the militants were pressed against the city at a distance of 7 km, and some groups reached a small camp 2 km from the Algerian border. One of the field commanders was also eliminated.
If the army column numbered no more than seven dozen servicemen, the rebels concentrated a group of up to 900 people in Tin-Zautin, transferring reserves there. The ensuing battle was interrupted by a sandstorm: the parties withdrew their troops from the line of contact.
The next day, the battle resumed at the initiative of the enemy. The Tuaregs attacked the field camps and managed to destroy some of the armored vehicles. The army aviation that arrived to help was ineffective due to weather conditions, and one of the Mi-24 helicopters was shot at with anti-aircraft weapons: the helicopter made a hard landing in Kidal.
▪️On July 27th, government forces began to retreat from the outskirts of the city (the Tuaregs continued to bring up reserves). That's when the militants from the Malian branch of Al-Qaeda got involved: the "Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin" group, apparently acting in concert with the "Azawad Movement", set up an ambush on the column of the Malian Armed Forces and the Wagner PMC near the Tin-Gamira mountains, mining the area.
❗️After the explosion and the attack by the Al-Qaeda members, the Tuaregs arrived, trapping the remnants of the government and Russian forces. The battle ended in a rout and the capture of the survivors. Among the killed Wagner PMC fighters was the administrator of the @grey_zone channel, Nikita (call signs "White" and "Five Hundredth"). His death was confirmed (https://t.me/okspn/31942) by friendly resources.
Despite the videos and photos circulating on the Internet, the number of losses is unlikely to exceed a couple of dozens: some of the white corpses could have belonged to the Tuareg rebels, who were filmed for the picture.
According to information (https://t.me/incognitoraf/9035) from Medved na divane, the Wagner PMC, together with the "African Corps" @KorpusAfrica, quickly held negotiations to ransom the prisoners, concluding two deals
@rybar
