The FLA rebel group in Mali claims to have downed a government helicopter using a drone, which the military denies, stating they intercepted a terrorist drone. This incident highlights the complex dynamics between various armed groups in Mali and the shifting allegiances involving international powers.
Mali’s Front for the Liberation of Azawad (FLA) rebel group has asserted that its fighters utilized a drone to down a Malian army helicopter in the Kidal region. The military, however, has not substantiated this claim. According to the army’s general staff, they intercepted a drone identified as a “terrorist” device, refuting the assertion made by FLA spokesman Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane.
On Tuesday evening, the Malian army’s general staff announced that a drone had been intercepted near Tessalit, where the FLA claimed its fighters had shot down the army helicopter. The military asserted that the helicopter had successfully refueled and returned to its base despite the drone’s presence. Ramadane disputed this account, declaring, “We did shoot down the army helicopter with our drones.”
The FLA, which suffered defeat in Kidal against forces bolstered by Russian mercenaries in November 2023, has since retreated further north towards the Algerian border. They are believed to have orchestrated an attack last July that resulted in the deaths of numerous Malian soldiers and mercenaries from the Wagner Group. Ukrainian intelligence official Andriy Yusov suggested that Kyiv may have aided the rebels with intelligence for this assault, although Ukraine later denied such allegations, asserting no involvement with drone supplies.
The FLA emerged late last year from a merger of various Tuareg groups that aim to secure territory in northern Mali. The ruling military junta in Mali has pivoted away from its longstanding partnerships with France and European allies, instead fostering closer military and political ties with Russia.
The FLA’s claim of downing a Malian army helicopter using a drone adds a new dimension to the ongoing conflict in Mali. Despite the military’s rejection of the claim, the situation is indicative of the shifting alliances and escalating tensions within the region’s armed groups. The FLA’s historical context and recent activities highlight the complexities of Mali’s struggle for control and the influences of external powers such as Russia and Ukraine.
Original Source: thedefensepost.com
