Wagner PMC Mercenaries Ambushed During an Assault: Reports Indicate Dozens Killed

Mali's northern Tuareg rebels claimed they had killed and injured dozens of soldiers and Wagner mercenaries in two days of fighting near the Algerian border. Earlier, Russian military bloggers, close to Wagner PMC, indicated that Russian mercenaries planned an assault on one of the settlements.

According to the Tuareg rebel group known as the Permanent Strategic Framework for Peace, Security and Development (CSP-PSD), their forces engaged in combat with Malian troops and Wagner mercenaries over two days, starting Thursday in the border town of Tinzaouaten. The rebels reported that they had killed and injured dozens of soldiers and Wagner fighters during these clashes. The group also claimed to have captured armored vehicles, trucks, and tankers and damaged a helicopter, which later crashed in Kidal.

The Malian army confirmed the deaths of two soldiers and injuries to ten others. They reported that a helicopter, involved in a routine mission, crashed in Kidal on Friday but did not result in fatalities. The army also stated that it had killed around 20 rebels during the fighting.

Russian military bloggers have reported varying figures regarding Wagner casualties. Reports suggest that Wagner PMC suffered between 20 and 80 casualties during the ambush. Wagner operatives were reportedly traveling in a convoy to assault the town when they were attacked.

The situation remains difficult, and independent verification of these figures is challenging. Russian Wagner PMC, which participated in Russian aggression against Ukraine, has had its status in Mali scrutinized following the death of its leader Yevgeny Prigozhin last year. Mali’s government, which has been dealing with an Islamist insurgency and political instability, continues to assert that Russian forces in the country are not Wagner mercenaries but rather trainers assisting with equipment from Russia.