A Russian national operating alongside Malian soldiers was killed by a roadside bomb in Sahel state, marking the first confirmed death of what in Mali are officially described as Russian military instructors.
According to an army document seen by AFP, a Malian army unit accompanied by a “Russian adviser” struck an improvised explosive device near the town of Hombori on Tuesday.
Mali is struggling to stem violent groups linked to al-Qaeda and the ISIL (ISIS) that have gained ground and escalated attacks during the past decade, spreading south and to bordering countries in West Africa’s arid Sahel region.
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Source: Al Jazeera