Malian air strike in Timbuktu kills 18 civilians

An air strike by the Malian army at a market in northern Mali has resulted in at least 18 deaths and seven injuries, according to a local rights group. The attack occurred on Sunday, about 50 kilometers north of the city of Lerneb. The Collective for the Defence of the Rights of the Azawad People, linked to separatist Tuareg rebels, reported the strike targeting civilians. The Malian army claims the air strikes were aimed at terrorist activities in the area. In a statement on social media, they announced the operation had "neutralised" at least 11 terrorists. Northern Mali is known for its militant activities related to al Qaeda and the Islamic State. The Tuareg people, an ethnic group in the Sahara, have been fighting for an independent homeland. They began their insurgency against the Malian government in 2012, but it was later overtaken by Islamist groups, leading to ongoing violence in the region. Mali, currently under military rule since a coup in 2020, frequently conducts air strikes against insurgents. Last year, a separate strike in Tinzaouaten resulted in the deaths of 21 people, including 11 children. In another incident in October, a drone strike at a fair in Timbuktu killed at least eight.