In the central part of Mali, militants of the al-Qaeda terrorist organization attacked a convoy of Russian mercenaries from the Wagner PMC.
This was reported by Radio Svoboda, Ukrinform reports.
As noted, the attack allegedly took place on November 21 in central Mali. Information about it was spread by channels associated with al-Qaeda and its African wing.
The militants claim to have killed at least seven Wagner employees and blown up two vehicles. Photos posted online show weapons, ammunition and equipment captured by the militants, including those with PMC emblems.
According to Reuters, which cites the monitoring group Site Intelligence, the al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra (JNIM) claimed responsibility for the attack. The source of the publication notes that the killed Russians were fighters of the African Corps, a Kremlin-controlled paramilitary group created from African immigrants and former members of the Wagner PMC.
In Mali, Wagner mercenaries operate as part of government forces. However, the Malian authorities called the Russian military instructors.
As Ukrinform reported, at the end of July, a coalition of anti-government groups in northern Mali killed more than 80 mercenaries from the Russian PMC Wagner and 47 Malian soldiers during three days of fighting. This is the largest loss of the Wagner PMC in all the years of its presence in Africa.
After the military coup in May 2021, Mali is ruled by a military junta that maintains close ties with Russia and uses mercenaries from the Wagner PMC controlled by Russian special services.
Source: Al-Qaeda in Mali shoots at Wagner PMC convoy - media
