NAIROBI, July 30. /TASS/. Mali and Mauritania’s authorities are probing into reports about Ukrainian instructors’ participation in training terrorists who attacked government forces near Ti-n-Zaouatene in northeastern Mali, on the border with Algeria, the Senenews portal reported.
The portal cited data "received in the course of investigation of joint activities of Ukrainian instructors and militants" the Malian authorities have established that training of rebels was organized in Mauritania. Mali’s authorities contacted Mauritania via diplomatic channels. The Mauritanian authorities said that they are not a party to the Malian conflict and do not support the Azawad movement but, nevertheless, they launched an investigation "to see how this could happen."
On July 22, the Malian government army took control of the settlement of In-Afarak and launched an operation to liberate Ti-n-Zaouatene, where, according to the Malian General Staff, militants were "indulging in racketeering and looting and blocked logistics convoys heading to the country’s northern cities." On July 25, militants staged the first attack on government troops in Ti-n-Zaouatene, which was repelled with minor losses. However, according to the General Staff, the weather was playing against the government army and terrorists managed to receive reinforcement and regroup amid a sandstorm.
On July 26, terrorists, jointly with militants from the Support Group for Islam and Muslims (JNIM, an al-Qaeda affiliate, banned in Russia) and the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS, an Islamic State structure, banned in Russia) staged another attack on government forces with the use of cars driven by kamikaze drivers. A Malina army unit was surrounded by terrorists and engaged in fierce fighting until reinforcement arrived, the General Staff said, adding that the unit "managed to avoid big losses." It refrained however from citing exact losses.
The armed conflict between Mali’s authorities and extremist and separatist groups began in 2012. Since then, the country has been in a state of a security and socio-economic crisis.