Mali's Drone Strike Takes Out Key Rebel Leader

Mali's government has announced the killing of a senior Tuareg rebel leader and others in a drone strike in Tinzaouaten, a town in the north controlled by a rebel coalition. The notorious commander, Fahad Ag Almahmoud, is among those confirmed dead. Official army comments remain unavailable.

Mali's government has confirmed the killing of a senior Tuareg rebel commander in a strategic drone strike. The attack targeted Tinzaouaten, a town under rebel control on the Algeria border, and was witnessed by a Reuters journalist.

Among those killed was Fahad Ag Almahmoud, a notorious figure within the rebel coalition known as the Permanent Strategic Framework for the Defence of the People of Azawad (CSP-DPA). Almahmoud, formerly with a pro-government militia, defected last year.

The national army has yet to release an official statement regarding the incident, leaving questions surrounding the operation and its wider implications unresolved.

(With inputs from agencies.)