One of the largest military operations of recent months in Mali was announced by the Russian Africa Corps, which claims that, in cooperation with the Armed Forces of Mali (FAMa), it repelled a massive attack against the strategic city of Anéfis, causing very heavy losses to the forces of the separatist Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) and the jihadist organization Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), which is linked to Al-Qaeda.
According to the announcement of the Africa Corps, the battles that lasted from July 4 to 9 constitute a turning point for the control of northern Mali, as Anéfis is considered the main gateway to the region of Kidal, which is at the center of the multi-year conflict between the government and the armed organizations.
Massive attack with thousands of fighters
According to the Russian announcement, the attack began in the early hours of July 4 under the command of Iyad Ag Ghaly and Alghabass Ag Intalla.
The Africa Corps claims that the attacking forces numbered up to 5,000 fighters, supported by more than 1,000 vehicles, including armored vehicles, personnel carriers, pickups, and motorcycles.
The Russian side also reports that fighters and mercenaries from Libya, Algeria, Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Chad, Niger, Nigeria, and the Ivory Coast participated in the ranks of the attackers.
Drones, artillery, and air power
According to the Africa Corps, the attackers used mortars of various calibers, FPV drones, heavy machine guns, anti-aircraft guns, and car bombs ("kamikaze vehicles").
The Russian force and the army of Mali responded with a combination of air strikes, artillery, offensive drones, BMP-3 and BTR-82A armored vehicles, as well as anti-aircraft systems.
According to the announcement, the defenders repelled four consecutive waves of attacks already from the first day, while subsequently a large counter-offensive was organized to break the siege of the military base of Anéfis.
Battle of maneuvers in the desert
The most critical phase of the operation occurred on July 9.
The Africa Corps states that the allied forces bypassed the main ambushes by moving through the desert east of Tabrichat, while extensive recognition, demining, and aerial surveillance operations were concurrently carried out.
According to the Russian version, the fighters attempted to halt the advance by using car bombs, mortars, and mass fire once again, but the combined use of drones, aviation, and armored vehicles allowed the allied forces to break through their lines and reach the base of Anéfis.
The Africa Corps claims that the attackers retreated after suffering significant losses.
The losses
In its announcement, the Africa Corps speaks of more than 2,000 dead or neutralized fighters, as well as the destruction of up to 300 vehicles, including armored vehicles, anti-aircraft systems, and dozens of mortars.
Concurrently, it claims that the leader of the JNIM, Iyad Ag Ghaly, was injured, while several senior cadres of both the JNIM and the FLA were killed or neutralized.
Reports of foreign instructors
Of particular interest are the announcements of the Africa Corps that, according to prisoner testimonies, the training of the attackers had been undertaken by nationals of France, Ukraine, and Mauritania.
New phase of the conflict
The battle of Anéfis may constitute a significant development in the conflict raging in recent years in northern Mali.
According to the Africa Corps, the failure of the attack weakens both the JNIM and the FLA, while creating the conditions for new operations aiming to recapture Kidal, which has been under the control of armed organizations since 2026.
Parallely, Moscow seeks to strengthen its presence in the region through military cooperation with the authorities of Mali, presenting the role of the Africa Corps as part of the effort to support the government in confronting armed organizations.
The situation in northern Mali remains particularly fluid and the developments of the coming weeks will show whether the operation in Anéfis constituted an isolated tactical result or the beginning of a broader counter-offensive by government forces.
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