Mali separatists say they killed dozens of fighters from Wagner Group and local government troops

Separatist rebels in northern Mali said on August 1 that they killed dozens of fighters from the Russian private military company Wagner and Malian government troops near the Algerian border at the end of July, Le Monde reported.

The Tuareg-led separatists said Thursday they killed 84 Wagner fighters and 47 Malian soldiers in three days of intense fighting that began on July 25 at a military camp at Tinzaouatene.

About 30 other troops or fighters, either "dead or seriously injured" were airlifted to Kidal, a key northern city, Le Monde reported citing the Strategic Framework for the Defence of the People of Azawad (CSP-DPA) alliance. 

The separatist alliance said they had taken seven Wagner and Malian government fighters hostage and said they had lost nine men in the fighting, the media outlet reported.

This was the heaviest loss suffered so far by Wagner in Africa, Le Monde reported citing analysts.

The army and the Wagner group had admitted heavy losses in the region but the numbers could not be corroborated by the media outlet.