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The top leader of al-Qaeda-affiliated Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) was wounded near Anéfis in the northeastern Malian region of Kidal, the Russian Africa Corps announced on July 9, as fighting continued to rage near the key town. The area has been under attack by both the terrorist group and the separatist Tuareg Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) for the last few days.
“Iyad Ag Ghali was injured today in the Anéfis area,” the corps said in a post to X. “Don’t run away, Iyad. We will help you!”
Ag Ghali, also known by the nom de guerre Abu al-Fadl, is a Malian Tuareg musician-turned-terrorist and the founder and leader of JNIM since 2017. He brokered the unlikely alliance with the FLA, which enabled the two groups to launch a large-scale offensive across Mali last April.
The attack on Anéfis, which began on July 4, was intended to mark the start of another major offensive. However, the swift and decisive response by the Africa Corps and the Malian Armed Forces (FAMa) quickly turned the tables on both JNIM and the FLA. The groups have so far suffered heavy losses, making any meaningful gains highly unlikely.
In addition to Ag Ghali, the Africa Corps said that it killed the bodyguard of Bilal Ag Achérif, a senior leader of the FLA who is related to Ag Ghali.
“The body of the eliminated terrorist Intaryague Azarin, bodyguard of Bilal Ag Shérif, remains in the desert. Eliminated by the soldiers of the Africa Corps and the Malian Army!” the corps said on X.
“And where is the body of Bilal now?” it added, hinting that Ag Achérif may have been already killed.
From its side, the FLA claimed that its militants ambushed a convoy with more than 200 Russian fighters and more than 100 Malian troops near Anéfis.
No evidence supporting these claims has emerged yet. However, the Africa Corps and the FAMa shared several videos showing heavy losses of the FLA and JNIM near Anéfis. The corps also revealed that the Imghad Tuareg Self-Defense Group and Allies (GATIA) and factions from the Movement for the Salvation of Azawad (MSA) are fighting alongside the Malian government.
Overall, the attack on Anéfis appears to be failing. The FLA and JNIM will not likely be able to handle the losses, especially in their command and control chains.
The news about Ag Ghali getting injured could particularly be devastating for the militants, potentially undermining morale and further disrupting their ranks.
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