The FLA claims to have downed a Malian army helicopter using a drone, but the military has not confirmed this. Instead, the Malian army states they intercepted a “terrorist” drone. Tensions continue as the FLA seeks to regain territory in northern Mali amid changing military alliances.
The Front for the Liberation of Azawad (FLA) rebel group announced to Agence France-Presse (AFP) that they successfully downed a Malian army helicopter using a drone in the Kidal region. However, the Malian military has yet to verify this claim. The military indicated that they intercepted a “terrorist” drone after the FLA reported the helicopter was brought down in Tessalit on Tuesday night.
The Malian army’s general staff released a statement asserting that a terrorist drone was intercepted at the Tessalit airport on February 11. According to the military, the drone had aimed to surveil a Malian Armed Forces helicopter, which successfully refueled, took off, and returned to base without incident. The FLA spokesperson, Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, contested this, stating, “We did shoot down the army helicopter with our drones.”
Previously, the FLA had retreated north toward the Algerian border after a defeat in Kidal in November 2023, where they faced an army supported by Russian mercenaries. Following an attack last July that claimed numerous Malian and Wagner Group fighters’ lives, a Ukrainian intelligence official suggested that Kyiv had aided the rebels but Ukraine later denied these allegations, including those of drone supply.
The FLA, formed late last year through the unification of several Tuareg groups, aims to secure territory in northern Mali. Since the current military junta’s rise to power, Mali has shifted its military alliances from France and other European nations towards Russia, affecting regional dynamics greatly.
In summary, the FLA claims to have downed a Malian army helicopter using a drone, a statement not verified by the military. The Malian army asserts they intercepted a drone that was observing their helicopter, while the FLA openly contests this claim. The ongoing conflict continues to evolve, particularly with shifts in foreign military alliances.
Original Source: thedefensepost.com
