FLA-JNIM alliance captures Tessalit

The alliance of Tuareg separatists from the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) and al Qaeda-linked militants from Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) has captured Tessalit, a village in far-northern Mali. The militants are now publishing videos from the populated area, which also contains a military base to the north of the residential zones. This base is described as an autonomous, fortified position capable of maintaining a defense independently of the town's status. At present, there is no information confirming the withdrawal or evacuation of the garrison from that base.