In Mali, 13 civilians, including 7 children, were killed by drone strikes

In Mali, 13 civilians, including seven children, were killed by drone strikes in Amasrakad. This happened on March 17, but the data was released only today. Amnesty International writes about it, UNN reports.

Details

It is noted that the victims were civilians who sought refuge in the Gao region.

The victims included six siblings and their mother.

According to eyewitness accounts collected by Amnesty, on the night of March 17, two Malian army drones exploded in Amasrakad, in the Gao region, in the city. At least 13 civilians were killed, including seven children aged two to 17, and more than a dozen people were injured.

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In an official statement, the Malian army commented on the strikes as having "contributed to the neutralization of many terrorists and some of their vehicles." However, seven local survivors and witnesses of the nighttime explosions, speaking to Amnesty International journalists, refuted the military's claims. The locals noted that the first strike of the unmanned aerial vehicle did hit a Toyota Hilux, but the second hit a flimsy temporary shelter where civilians were living. Witnesses claimed that nine people were killed by the strike at once.

I didn't hear the first strike. I was still sleeping, but people in my house rushed to a neighboring family to protect them. After that, one of my sons came back, woke me up and told me about the car that was hit first. I followed him to another complex where people took shelter. The second strike occurred when I reached the entrance to the territory. I froze and saw flames around the shelter. It took me some time to get inside and go to the victims. My wife and six of my children were hiding there, and they were all killed in the strike. The other victims were friends and acquaintances who were simply seeking protection in the complex.

The Malian authorities must comply with their obligations under international law, which requires all parties to armed conflict to distinguish between civilians and combatants and to refrain from targeting or indiscriminately attacking civilians.

Context

Since mid-2023, the Malian government has stepped up military operations against al-Qaeda, the Islamic State, and former rebel groups. As part of these operations, the military regularly conducts drone strikes. The intensification of hostilities in the Kidal and Gao regions over the past few months has led many people from neighboring regions to flee to Amasrakadu in search of refuge.

Eyewitnesses and survivors told Amnesty International that another person died of his wounds while receiving medical treatment in Amasrakad. Two days after the drone strike, a pregnant woman discovered that her unborn child had died.