Russian paramilitaries carried out air strikes in Mali as rebels advanced, footage shows

A Russian paramilitary launched air strikes against rebel forces near Mali's capital Bamako, video footage shows, following a shock offensive against the ruling military government. Jihadist and Tuareg separatist forces on Saturday carried out attacks across Mali and killed the country's Defence Minister Sadio Camara. Russian forces claimed up to 12,000 fighters took part in the offensive. The Kremlin-controlled Africa Corps, which supports Malian military operations, has posted several videos since Saturday showing air strikes and attack helicopters engaging with rebel troops. BBC Verify located the clips to the town of Kati, around 20km (12 miles) from Bamako. Despite the show of force, the mercenaries confirmed that they have pulled out of Kidal in northern Mali, which housed significant numbers of troops and was at the core of the military's operations in the region. Verified footage now shows rebels roaming the base. Mali has fought a long-running conflict against a broad array of rebel groups for more than a decade. Military leaders seized power in 2020 after accusing the civilian administration of failing to properly manage the security situation.Since then the military has had limited success targeting the al-Qaeda linked Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) group and the separatist Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), with Bamako coming under a blockade late last year.But the latest attacks mark a "major escalation in the conflict" between the military government and the rebels, said Jean-Hervé Jezequel, Sahel director with the International Crisis Group. Fighting has been recorded across the country, with BBC Verify confirming 22 videos showing rebel movements in seven locations since Saturday. "Whereas JNIM's strategy initially relied primarily on conquering rural or peripheral areas, it now also targets major cities," Jezequel said.