Russia previously accused France of stoking instability in its former colony in revenge for Bamako\u2019s push for closer ties with Moscow<\/p>\n
Western countries may have played a role in one of Mali\u2019s largest-ever coordinated terrorist assaults, which struck Bamako\u2019s international airport, the garrison town of Kati, and three other cities across the country, the Russian Foreign Ministry has said.
\nIn a Telegram post on Saturday, the ministry said roughly 250 fighters had targeted Modibo Keita International Airport and an adjacent military base in Bamako. Responsibility for the attack was claimed by regional Al-Qaeda affiliate JNIM and the Tuareg-dominated separatist rebel group Azawad Liberation Front (FLA). The raid was ultimately repelled by Malian forces.
\nLocal authorities did not give an official death toll of the attack \u2013 which also reportedly targeted senior leadership \u2013 but said 16 people were wounded.<\/p>\n
\u00a9\u00a0 Telegram\/KorpusAfrica2 <\/p>\n
\u201cThe Russian side expresses deep concern over the unfolding events\u201d, the ministry said, adding that the fighting \u201ccreates a direct threat to the stability of Mali, a state with friendly relations with Russia,\u201d and risks \u201cthe most negative consequences for the entire surrounding region.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a9\u00a0 Telegram\/KorpusAfrica2 <\/p>\n
It added that mop-up operations are still underway and that \u201cpreliminary data indicate that Western security services could have been involved in training\u201d of the insurgents.
\nRussia has a military presence in the West African country, which has been reeling under terrorist threats for years, called the Africa Corps. Established in 2023, the unit operates under the purview of the Russian Defense Ministry and assists in combating terrorism and training local forces.<\/p>\n
Read more<\/p>\n
Mali hit by wave of coordinated terrorist raids<\/p>\n
In a separate statement, the Africa Corps confirmed it was involved in stabilizing the situation, adding that the attack was supported by \u201cUkrainian and European mercenaries\u201d wielding Western-made weapons. The terrorist forces lost an estimated 1,000 militants and more than 100 vehicles, it added.
\nThe Corps also released several pictures of the aftermath of the fighting and captured weapons.
\nRussia suggested a Western hand in the attack after Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov earlier this year said that France was \u201cattempting to overthrow undesirable nationalist governments\u201d in the Sahara-Sahel region, relying on \u201coutright terrorist groups and Ukrainian militants\u201d to do so, and using what he called \u201ccolonial methods.\u201d He has separately said that France\u2019s support for terrorists in Mali is revenge for Bamako\u2019s sovereign choice to draw closer to Moscow.
\nFrance has had long-running interests in its former colony, but has seen its influence in the region dwindle in recent years. In 2022, France ended its almost-decade-long counterterrorism mission in Mali after local authorities expelled the troops while accusing Paris of backing terrorists \u2013 an allegation French officials have denied.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Russia previously accused France of stoking instability in its former colony in revenge for Bamako\u2019s push for closer ties with Moscow Western countries may have played a role in one…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":34116,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,6,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-34115","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economy","category-environment","category-politics"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t