Malian soldiers clashed Wednesday with Tuareg rebels near the Mauritanian border, the first fighting to erupt since the two sides signed a peace accord in June. A Malian captain warned the clash could endanger the truce.
The Tuareg rebels have picked up arms against the African state of Mali three times since independence in 1960, but it was only last year that they succeeded in making significant gains. They were temporarily sidelined by radical jihadists operating in the area, though have grown in strength again since French-led forces largely ousted those Islamic militants last winter.
Both sides gave varying reports on Wednesday’s clash, which took place in the central town of Foita.
“One of our patrols happened upon the armed group,” said Capt. Modibo Traore of the army’s public affairs division in the Malian capital of Bamako, speaking by telephone. “They opened fire on our forces, and three of our men suffered injuries.”