Mali's army and its Russian mercenary allies surrendered a strategic northern military stronghold to armed rebels on Friday, as Tuareg separatists and jihadists wage a unified front to bring down the country's junta.
The west African nation is facing a critical security situation following large-scale attacks last weekend at various junta strongholds by the Tuareg-dominated FLA and Al-Qaeda-linked JNIM groups.
During those assaults, the rebels killed Mali's defence minister and took the key northern town of Kidal.
Forces from Mali's key Tessalit "super-camp" near the Algerian border surrendered the military installation and scattered southward, an official from the FLA told AFP.
The retreat comes one day after JNIM began a road blockade on the capital, Bamako. Only people already in the city were allowed to leave.
Tessalit serves as a strategic base due to its geographical location and features a well-maintained airstrip capable of accommodating helicopters and other large military aircraft.
It had hosted a significant number of Malian troops and their Russian allies, in addition to a substantial quantity of military equipment.
"Tessalit is the oldest base built by the colonial power", a military officer told AFP, adding that its position in the far north offered "a panoramic view of the entire Sahara".
Mali forces were also forced to abandon a lesser military base, Aguelhok, located some 100 kilometres south of Tessalit, according to a local elected official and a separate FLA official Friday.
