Mali Separatists, Al-Qaeda Allies Seize Tessalit Camp

Separatist fighters and al-Qaeda-linked militants launched their largest coordinated attacks in Mali in over a decade, capturing a strategic military camp in the northern town of Tessalit on Friday after government forces and their Russian allies withdrew.

The Azawad Liberation Front, a separatist group, announced the takeover of the Tessalit camp, located near an airport and the Algerian border. A video from FLA commander Achafghi Ag Bouhanda, verified by independent observers, showed the group's fighters at the site. The withdrawal by the Malian army and Russia's Africa Corps began Thursday, according to local reports. Malian authorities did not immediately comment.

The assaults, which started Saturday, involved near-simultaneous strikes by the Azawad Liberation Front and Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin on at least 10 locations. Targets included Bamako's main international airport and other towns and cities, with attackers using motorcycles and trucks. The offensive forced Malian and Russian troops to abandon the northern city of Kidal, a former separatist stronghold, earlier in the week. Defense Minister Sadio Camara died during those clashes.