Armed forces are attacking the Malian army in Gao | Articles of Controversy

Mali says the rebels are on the move as rebels say they have caused casualties and “destroyed” the military.

Mali’s military says it has carried out operations against militants linked to al-Qaeda and members of a separatist group have hidden troops in the restive north.

The Malian army said in a statement on Saturday that armed forces ambushed a group of soldiers in the remote Gao region.

All groups Al-Qaeda, Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), and the separatist group Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) claimed responsibility for the attack in separate statements that spoke of “great loss of life” and “great damage” on the part of the Malian army.

The soldiers did not give details about the losses but said that their comrades were also attacked, perhaps implying Russian paramilitaries or mercenaries.

“Our group moving from Anefis to Gao was attacked this morning near Tabankort. The battle continues. It’s an ambush,” a military source in Gao told AFP.

Mali has been in a security crisis for over 14 years.

The FLA wants to establish an independent country in northern Mali. Currently, JNIM is known as the deadliest armed group in West Africa.

JNIM wants to take over more areas and currently controls rural areas. The war has created a humanitarian crisis, with more than five million people – about 20 percent of the population – in need of aid.

AFP reported that photos released by the FLA show that many prisoners of war were captured during the ambush.

The rebels also released images they said showed Malian soldiers surrendering.

In the video, the militants are seen shooting some soldiers while they are lying on the ground.

This happened as the Malian army marched from the northern town of Anefis to Gao.

On July 10, the Malian military confirmed he also took Nephis in a battle that killed about 30 of his soldiers and injured about 60 others. The town was captured by the FLA and JNIM six days earlier. The FLA said it had lost some of its best fighters during the scandal.