Mali’s army says it has regained control of areas, with the situation “totally under control”

• Mali’s army says it has regained control over areas in Mali where it had previously launched attacks.
• The Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) says it is responsible for attacks in Sevare and Gao, while also saying it carried out the attacks there.
• Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) says it is responsible for attacks on Anefis, but Reuters was unable to independently verify this.

According to NBC News and Asharq Al-Awsat,

attacks in Mali’s Sevare and Gao followed an earlier attack on the same areas, according to Mali’s army. It also said that the situation was “totally under control.” The army said that in Sevare it had killed 20 “terrorists,” while in Gao it had killed seven. It also noted that in Gao it had killed the leader of the attackers, and that four of the attackers were killed during the operation.

In a statement, the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), which claims responsibility for the attacks, said it carried out the attacks. FLA spokesman Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane said on Facebook that the group’s fighters were responsible for the attack on Anefis; Reuters reported that it was unable to independently verify the claim.

In addition, it said that the attackers had been driven out of the area in Kidal. The statement also said that in Gao, the attackers had killed three soldiers, while in Sevare the attackers had killed more than 20. It added that the attackers had killed some of the group’s fighters in the area, and that it had not received any reports of civilian casualties. It also said that it was not possible to confirm the claim from other sources.

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