Air strikes in the night
The Malian army carried out several air strikes in the night from Wednesday to Thursday against the city of Kidal in northern Mali, according to military sources and local witnesses. At least four strikes were heard in the city, causing material damage. According to a resident contacted by AFP, a house near a former market was destroyed, while another bombing hit the governorate compound. An officer in the Malian army stated that the armed forces were targeting “specific targets” and warned that the strikes “will intensify in the days to come.”
READ ALSO AND LISTEN: Attacks in Mali: “Kidal will be retaken soon” according to Fousseynou Ouattara, vice-president of the CNT Defense Commission
A strategic city under rebel control
Kidal has been under the control of the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) and the Support Group for Islam and Muslims (JNIM), affiliated with Al-Qaeda, since late April. The capture of the city followed a coordinated offensive on April 25th and 26th against several strategic positions of the Malian junta. Thursday morning, the city appeared unusually calm, with very little traffic, while several vehicles reportedly left Kidal during the night, according to witnesses.
