Rebels claim dozens of Wagner mercenaries killed in Mali clash

Rebels in Mali claim that over two days of fighting, they killed and injured dozens of Wagner Group mercenaries. The rebels themselves reportedly lost only two soldiers.

The Tuaregs from northern Mali reported that over two days of fighting in the border town of Tinzaouaten near the Algeria border, they killed and injured dozens of soldiers and mercenaries from the Wagner Group. The Malian rebels also stated that they captured armoured vehicles, trucks, and tankers.

The Malian army reported in a statement that on their side, two soldiers died, and 10 were injured. One of their helicopters crashed in Kidal on Friday during a routine mission, but no one was killed.

The Wagner Group fighters are known for their brutal actions in Ukraine as well as in Africa.

Earlier this year, Ukrainian special forces captured three mercenaries from the Russian Wagner Group in Sudan, according to the Kyiv Post.

"We are on the side of good. We are defending not only Ukraine but also the legitimate government of Sudan against evil," said Ukrainian military officer Ihor Checherynda, commenting on the Kyiv Post publication that included video material from the interrogation of mercenaries captured in Sudan by a special unit of Ukrainian military intelligence (HUR).

One of the prisoners in the recording speaks Russian, saying he belongs to the Wagner Group. He claims the mercenaries' task was to overthrow the Sudanese government and adds that their number reaches a hundred.

The Tuaregs are an ethnic group inhabiting the Sahara region, including parts of northern Mali. Many of them feel marginalized by the Malian government.

The separatist group began an uprising against the rulling junta of Mali in 2012, but the rebellion was later taken over by Islamist groups.