Mali’s Front for the Liberation of Azawad (FLA) rebel group announced on Wednesday that its fighters successfully targeted and destroyed a Malian army helicopter using a drone in the Kidal region. However, the Malian military has not confirmed this assertion. In a response, the army’s general staff stated that it intercepted a “terrorist” drone in the area, disputing the claims made by the rebel faction. According to the FLA spokesman, Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, their actions involved taking down the military helicopter in Tessalit, located in the country’s northeast late Tuesday.
The Malian military issued a statement that detailed the interception of the drone, which suggested it was engaged in reconnaissance of a military helicopter that had been fueled and was in transit. According to the military report, the helicopter successfully took off and returned to its base without incident. In contrast, Ramadane dismissed the military’s narrative as false, maintaining that the FLA had indeed downed the army helicopter.
The FLA, a predominantly Tuareg group that emerged from the merger of several factions last year, has faced significant military challenges. Following a defeat in Kidal due to support from Russian mercenaries in November 2023, the rebels retreated towards the Algerian border. This strategic move allowed them to launch an attack in July that resulted in the deaths of numerous Malian soldiers and fighters affiliated with the Russian paramilitary group Wagner.
In the wake of this incident, Ukrainian military intelligence representative Andriy Yusov suggested that Kyiv might have provided the rebels with intelligence to facilitate their attack. However, Ukraine later denied these allegations, as well as rumors that it had supplied the rebels with drones.
The FLA has been striving to challenge Mali’s ruling military junta, which has markedly shifted its alliances away from France and European partners. Instead, the junta has sought closer military and political ties with Russia, further complicating the security landscape in the region as various armed groups vie for power and territory.
