Russia says its Africa corps helped Mali repel militant assault

Units of Russia’s Africa Corps under the Defence Ministry assisted the authorities in Mali in repelling a large-scale militant attack and holding positions in the capital Bamako and other cities.

This was stated by Deputy Secretary of the Russian Security Council Alexander Venediktov, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media.

According to him, Russian armed forces are helping African countries train military personnel, law enforcement officers and special services, thereby enhancing the combat readiness of their armed forces. Venediktov noted that the successful repelling of attacks confirms the effectiveness of this work.

On April 25, militants from Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, together with fighters from the Tuareg rebel group FLA, attacked military and government targets in Mali. During the assault, the country’s Defence Minister Sadio Camara was killed.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry also reported fatalities among personnel of the Africa Corps during clashes with the rebels. On April 28, Russia’s Defence Ministry confirmed the withdrawal of its contingent from the city of Kidal in northern Mali, which had been seized by the rebels.

By Aghakazim Guliyev