Mali's army said 82 of its soldiers who had been held prisoner ​since nationwide attacks in April by al Qaeda-linked militants ‌and a rebel group were freed on Thursday.

• The regional al Qaeda affiliate, Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), and Tuareg-led rebel group, ​the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), claimed responsibility for the ​attacks on April 25, which hit the main ⁠airport and killed the defence minister.
• The two groups also ​claimed responsibility for attacks on army positions across Mali on ​July 4.
• The army said in a statement the soldiers had been "held hostage" by "armed terrorist groups affiliated with the JNIM-FLA coalition".
• "This liberation ... is ​the result of rigorous planning and the coordinated ​mobilisation of the capabilities required to carry out this type of ‌operation," ⁠the statement said.
• The FLA said in a statement on Thursday that it had released 82 Malian soldiers taken prisoner during clashes between 2023 and 2026. The group did not ​immediately explain ​the discrepancy with ⁠the army’s account that the soldiers had been held since the April 25 ​attacks.
• Mali has been fighting insurgencies since 2012. Founded ​in ⁠2017, JNIM has gained in strength since the Malian soldiers who seized power in 2020 and 2021 coups kicked ⁠out ​some 15,000 French and U.N. ​soldiers and turned to Russian mercenaries for defence support.