Olimpia's Tim Payne, of New Zealand, kicks the ball to score during his debut for the club at a Paraguayan soccer league match against Rubio Nu in Asuncion, Paraguay Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Jorge Saenz)

2026-08-13T15:37:31Z

BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — Separatists in northern Mali have released 82 soldiers, including some taken captive during a nationwide attack on government forces in April, the Malian military and a rebel spokesperson said Thursday.

A statement from the Malian Armed Forces said that the “freed soldiers are now safe and being cared for by the relevant authorities.” Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, a spokesperson for the separatist Azawad Liberation Front, confirmed the release.

Mali has been plagued for over a decade by insurgencies by militants affiliated with al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, including JNIM, as well as a Tuareg-led separatist rebellion in the north.

Violence escalated in recent months after an alliance of JNIM and Tuareg separatists carried out coordinated attacks on April 25, targeting the airport of the country’s capital, Bamako, the nearby garrison town of Kati, and several northern and central cities.

Ramadane said that the soldiers were released on humanitarian grounds, and that some of them had been held captive since as long ago as 2023. He said 118 Malian soldiers are still captive.