Malian forces have retaken the northern town of Anefis after nearly a week of intense fighting, in a battle that underscores the shifting balance of power in the country’s troubled north.

Military sources and local residents say government troops, backed by Russian Africa Corps mercenaries and supported by air power, pushed into Anefis after days of clashes with Tuareg separatists and allied jihadist fighters. The town lies about 100 kilometres south of Kidal, a long-contested stronghold that has repeatedly slipped from Bamako’s control.

Rebel forces had launched coordinated assaults on Anefis, overrunning much of the town but failing to seize the heavily defended military camp on its outskirts. Malian soldiers, bolstered by foreign paramilitary advisers, dug in around the base as columns of reinforcements set out from Gao, a major garrison city on the Niger River.

Witnesses along the route reported convoys of dozens of military vehicles advancing across the desert, harried by ambushes and improvised explosive devices. Despite those attacks, the reinforcements reached Anefis and joined the besieged garrison in a counteroffensive that pushed rebel fighters out of the town’s centre.

Mali’s army described the operation as a significant success. A military source said Malian troops and Africa Corps partners “broke through the obstacles and arrived in Anefis to reinforce our troops who were on the ground,” adding that operations were continuing to secure surrounding areas and clear remaining explosives.

A spokesperson for the Tuareg separatists framed the withdrawal differently, saying the movement had “decided to leave Anefis for strategic reasons and to avoid civilian casualties.” Local sources reported that many residents had already fled during the fighting, fearing both bombardment and reprisals.

The battle for Anefis highlights the complex mosaic of alliances and rivalries in northern Mali, where separatist groups, jihadist factions linked to al Qaeda and the Islamic State, community militias and state forces all vie for territory and influence.

Mali has been mired in conflict for more than a decade, with repeated uprisings in the north and centre feeding a broader Sahel-wide security crisis. The ruling junta, which seized power promising to restore order, has turned away from traditional Western partners and deepened security ties with Moscow, betting that a more aggressive military campaign can reverse years of rebel gains.

Whether the recapture of Anefis marks a turning point or a temporary advance in a grinding war remains uncertain, as armed groups retain the capacity to regroup and strike elsewhere across the vast desert north.