In a detailed report released on Friday, Human Rights Watch documented that a combat aircraft, identified by two Malian military sources as a Sukhoi Su-24, unleashed at least two bombs on Kyrnia village, situated within the Mopti region. According to HRW, the initial munition struck near the village chief’s residence, resulting in the immediate deaths of his wife, two of his children, and another child. A subsequent bomb then hit a nearby livestock market, where four men tragically lost their lives. After a thorough review of the incident’s circumstances, HRW concluded that these strikes did not appear to target any specific military objective, characterizing them instead as indiscriminate attacks.

Africa Corps claims operation against combatants

Africa Corps, an entity operating under the authority of the Russian Ministry of Defense and allied with Malian forces, disseminated aerial footage of a strike conducted on June 15 via Facebook and X. The group asserted that it had targeted a gathering point for “terrorist groups” in the Mopti region. However, Human Rights Watch successfully geolocated these images to Kyrnia. The organization further noted that no members of Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), an Al-Qaïda affiliate reportedly controlling the village for several years, appeared to have been killed during the bombardment.

Local residents interviewed by HRW stated that three sons of the village chief were indeed affiliated with JNIM but were not present during the airstrike. They also confirmed the presence of armed group combatants within the village, primarily congregated in a mosque that remained untouched by the bombing. Human Rights Watch is urging Malian authorities to launch an immediate investigation and establish accountability. The organization reiterated its concern that operations conducted by Malian forces and their Russian allies are frequently associated with allegations of human rights violations.

Data compiled by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED) organization indicates that 918 civilians were reportedly killed in 2025 during operations attributed to the Malian army and its Russian partners. Concurrently, both the Nations unies and Amnesty International have previously called for investigations into potential war crimes allegedly committed by JNIM and the Front de libération de l’Azawad (FLA).