Russian commander killed in an ambush during a sandstorm in Mali

A commander in a Russian mercenary group was killed in Mali after rebel fighters ambushed them during a sandstorm, according to the group.

Mali’s military regime enlisted the notorious Wagner group in 2021 to help combat jihadist and separatist forces.

On Monday, the group, now called Africa Corps, reported joining Mali’s military in intense battles against separatist rebels and jihadist militants last week.

However, the separatists launched a significant attack, reportedly killing 20 to 50 mercenaries, sources close to Africa Corps told the BBC.

Russian military bloggers also reported that at least 20 were killed in the ambush near Tinzaouaten in the northeast.

An official statement on Telegram confirmed “losses,” including the death of a commander, Sergei Shevchenko, without specifying the number of troops killed.

The mercenaries initially “destroyed most of the Islamists and put the rest to flight,” the statement said.

However, a subsequent sandstorm allowed the radicals to regroup, increasing their numbers to 1,000, it added.

The Permanent Strategic Framework for Peace, Security and Development (CSP-PSD), a Tuareg-dominated separatist group, claimed responsibility for the attack.

AFP quoted the CSP-PSD spokesperson saying they delivered a decisive blow to enemy columns on Saturday, taking prisoners and damaging or capturing equipment and weapons.

The rebel group shared video footage showing numerous white men in military fatigues lying motionless on a sandy plain and another of mostly black men blindfolded with their hands tied behind their backs. The BBC could not confirm the authenticity of the videos.

Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an al-Qaeda affiliate, also claimed sole responsibility for the attack, stating they killed 50 Russian mercenaries in a “complex ambush.”

Over a decade ago, Mali’s central government lost control of much of the north following a Tuareg rebellion demanding a separate state, further complicated by Islamist militants.

The military cited the government’s failure to address this unrest when seizing power in coups in 2020 and 2021.

The new junta severed Mali’s long-standing alliance with France in favor of Russia to quell the unrest.

After a mutiny by its leader Yevgeny Prigozhin last year, the Wagner group was effectively dismantled, leading to its replacement in West Africa by Africa Corps.