At least 21 people, including 11 children, were killed in drone attacks in the town of Tinzaouaten in northern Mali.

A spokesperson for the coalition of Tuareg-majority groups, fighting for independence in northern Mali, said on Monday that drones had struck a pharmacy and a group of people, leaving dozens wounded.

Mali’s army confirmed the drone attacks on national television, stating that the “precision strikes targeted terrorists.”

Tinzaouaten has experienced air attacks before, including an incident in July when Tuareg-led groups claimed to have killed a large number of Malian soldiers and Russian Wagner Group mercenaries.

The separatists claimed they had killed 47 soldiers and 84 Wagner mercenaries in the July attacks, but the army did not confirm the death toll.

After the attack, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reiterated Moscow’s “firm support” for Mali and its army.

The army has claimed that the Wagner fighters are in the country only as “instructors” helping the army train.

In addition to separatists, Mali has been dealing with al-Qaeda-backed armed groups for years after they hijacked a Tuareg rebellion in 2012.

After an eight-year pause in hostilities, fighting resumed between the army and rebels in August 2023.

Under Colonel Assimi Goita’s leadership, the military government distanced itself from its allies and former colonial ruler France, opting to align with Russia, resulting in the deployment of Wagner mercenaries.