Mali's army and Russian allies face coordinated assaults from jihadists and Tuareg rebels

The conflict in Mali has entered a new, increasingly tangled stage as the national army, known as Forces Armées Maliennes, fights on two sides. Backed by Russia’s Africa Corps, the troops are confronting the al-Qaeda-aligned Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, which uses mortars, rockets, anti-aircraft weapons and landmines, as well as the Tuareg-driven Azawad Liberation Front, a separatist movement. Recent coordinated attacks in April and July illustrate the intensifying pressure on government forces across multiple cities.

While the insurgents rely on improvised weapons and small arms, the army employs Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drones for surveillance and strikes. The photo feature highlights the stark contrast in firepower between the state-backed side and the rebel groups.