Mali’s leader says the military has seized control of the northern town of Kidal, marking the first time the army has held the Tuareg rebel stronghold in nearly a decade, Associated Press (AP) reports.
It was not immediately possible to independently verify the claim announced Tuesday on state broadcaster ORTM as mobile phone networks in Kidal were down.
“This is a message from the president of the transition to the Malian people,” journalist Ibrahim Traore said in his introduction to the news bulletin. “Today, our armed and security forces have seized Kidal. Our mission is not over.”
For several days Mali’s army, accompanied by mercenaries from the Wagner group, have been battling Tuareg rebel in a bid to take control of the town following the departure of United Nations peacekeepers two weeks ago, according to the report by AP.