Tuareg rebels free more Malian soldiers in prisoner swap, sources say

Tuareg rebels have freed about 60 Malian soldiers in exchange for one of their own leaders, security sources said.By Al Jazeera Staff and AFPPublished On 29 Aug 202629 Aug 2026Tuareg rebels have freed about 60 Malian soldiers in exchange for one of their own leaders, a former Malian army officer turned defector named Inkinane Ag Attaher, security sources have said.Ag Attaher was a prominent figure in the Tuareg-led Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) when he was arrested by Nigerian security forces near the Niger-Nigeria border in 2025. He was accused of orchestrating drone training, coordinating deadly attacks in Mali and acting as an international liaison.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Mali says 82 soldiers captured by armed groups have been freedlist 2 of 3How armed group alliances are reshaping Mali’s conflict and the wider Sahellist 3 of 3Why Mali’s northern conflict has entered a dangerous new phaseend of list“Around 60 soldiers were transported yesterday [Thursday] to Niger to be exchanged for Inkinane Ag Attaher and individuals allegedly linked to JNIM [Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin],” a group affiliated with al-Qaeda, a Malian security source told AFP news ...