A commander from a Russian mercenary group has been killed in Mali following an attack by rebel fighters during a sandstorm. The military regime in the West African state had turned to the Wagner group in 2021, seeking support against jihadist and separatist forces.
On Monday, the group, now operating under the name Africa Corps, reported joining Mali’s military in “fierce battles” against separatist rebels and jihadist militants last week. However, the separatists launched a major attack, resulting in the death of an estimated 20 to 50 mercenaries, according to sources close to Africa Corps and Russian military bloggers. Among the casualties was commander Sergei Shevchenko.
The mercenaries initially “destroyed most of the Islamists and put the rest to flight,” but a sandstorm allowed the radicals to regroup and increase their numbers to 1,000.
The Permanent Strategic Framework for Peace, Security and Development (CSP-PSD), a separatist group dominated by the Tuareg ethnic group, claimed responsibility for the attack, capturing prisoners and damaging or seizing equipment and weapons.
“On Saturday, our forces dealt a decisive blow to the enemy columns,” AFP quoted the CSP-PSD’s spokesperson as saying. Prisoners were taken and “a large amount of equipment and weapons were damaged or captured”, the spokesman added.
The rebel group released videos showing numerous white men in military fatigues lying motionless on a sandy plain and another group of mostly black men wearing blindfolds with their hands tied behind their backs. The authenticity of these videos has not been confirmed.
Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an al-Qaeda affiliate, also claimed sole responsibility for the attack, stating they killed 50 Russian mercenaries in a “complex ambush.”
Mali’s central government lost control of much of the north more than a decade ago following a Tuareg rebellion. The security situation was further complicated by the involvement of Islamist militants. The current military junta, which seized power in coups in 2020 and 2021, cited the government’s inability to tackle this unrest as justification for their actions. The junta severed Mali’s long-running alliance with former colonial power France in favor of Russia to quell the unrest. The Wagner group was dismantled after a mutiny by its leader Yevgeny Prigozhin last year, leading to its replacement in West Africa by Africa Corps.
Melissa Enoch
Follow us on:
https://cdn.veri.app/13646108-d5ec-478b-a54c-b01f60dbca29.mp4 President Bola Ahmed Tinubu On Thursday directed Vice President, Kashim Shettima to lead Nigeria’s…
The United Sates (US) Vice President Kamala Harris has expressed her willingness to use her…
Gabriella Uwadiegwu says cultural and societal barriers hinder women's tech careers, citing biases and limited…
Brazil has fined Elon Musk’s companies, X (formerly Twitter) and Starlink, after users in the…
The European Union has pledged to provide Ukraine with a substantial loan of up to…
President of Zimbabwe Dr. E.D. Mnangagwa will not be attending this year’s United Nations General…
View Comments
O8O__6739__9O9O
O8O__6739__9O9O
O8O__6739__9O9O
Toyota Sienna=700,000
Toyota Picnic=#650,000
Toyota Camry Muscle=850,000
Toyota Spider=1.2million
• Toyota Land Cruiser-N1.5 million
• Toyota Prado N1.6 million
• Toyota Corolla –N650,000
• Toyota Camry –N450,000-N1M
• Toyota Avensis – N950,000-N1M
• Toyota Yaris – N800,000
• Toyota Venza – N2.2 million
• Toyota RAV4 SUV –N950,000
• Toyota Hilus Pickup-N950,000
• Toyota Dyna Truck – N1.3million
• Toyota Hiace Bus – N1.5 million
* Toyota Highlander-N1.2 million
*Toyota Big daddy-N850,000
Honda Civic cars – N850,000
Honda Accord – N950,000
Honda CR-V –N980,000
Honda CR-V –950,000
Honda Pilot – N900,000
*Prices of some Volswagen cars:
golf 1 = 250,000
Golf 2,-N350,000
golf 3 -400,000
golf 5 -N500,000
Jetta-N350,000
Passat-N450,000.
BENZ C3OO.#1.1MILLION
BENZ-GLK.#2.1MILLION
BENZ =ML550.#3.2MILLIO
Lexus RX300-N950,000
Lexus RX330-N1.2 mill
Lexus RX350-N1.5 mill
Lexus GX460-N3.2 mill
Lexus GX470-N4.5 mill
Toyota Sienna = 700,000
MANY MORE AVAILABLE MODELS
WE DELIVER TO 36 STATES
YOU CAN CALL THE MARKETING OFFICER FOR MORE INFORMATION ( Omar ) OR YOU ADD ME UP ON WHATSAPP
+234O8O 6739 9O9O