In the early hours of Thursday, at least four airstrikes rocked Kidal, leaving behind significant material damage, according to a local resident who requested anonymity. One strike demolished a home near a former marketplace, while another gouged a deep crater in the courtyard of the Kidal governorate building—reclaimed by the Azawad National Liberation Front (FLA) on April 25 and 26. The FLA operates in alliance with the Support Group for Islam and Muslims (Jnim), the Sahel branch of Al-Qaeda led by Iyad Ag Ghaly.
«We are targeting specific objectives. We have a clear strategy in place. The intensity of these strikes will escalate in the coming days,» stated a Malian army officer at the command post in Mopti, central Mali, on Thursday.
City gripped by uncertainty
Kidal, a critical city in northern Mali, remained eerily quiet Thursday morning with minimal traffic, the witness reported. Many residents fled under cover of night, the source added.
Mali’s security landscape remains volatile following unprecedented coordinated attacks by Jnim jihadists and the FLA rebellion against strategic positions held by the ruling junta in Bamako.
FLA advances toward key northern cities
The joint offensive saw the rebel alliance seize control of Kidal, the largest city in northern Mali, after intense fighting. The FLA, an independence movement dominated by Tuareg fighters with Arab communities also represented, lays claim to the Azawad territory in northern Mali.
The rebellion has vowed to capture additional major northern cities. Azawad, as defined by the FLA, encompasses a vast expanse covering the Kidal, Gao, Ménaka, and Tombouctou regions. For decades, Tuareg groups have waged armed struggles against perceived marginalization, particularly centered around the pivotal city of Kidal.
