Wagner Group to withdraw from Mali after 'completing mission'

The Russian mercenary group is leaving amid an uptick in deadly Islamist insurgent attacks.

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The Russian mercenary group has been operating there since 2021, working with the military to challenge Islamist militants.

In a message on its Telegram channel, Wagner said it had "fought terrorism side-by-side with the people of Mali", killing "thousands of militants and their commanders, who terrorised civilians for years".

The withdrawal announcement comes the same day as reports that Malian soldiers had pulled out from a major base in the centre of the country, after it came under a second deadly attack in less than a week.

Mali has been grappling with a militant Islamist insurgency for more than a decade.