Bamako, Nov 14 (AP) Mali's leader says the military has seized control of the northern town of Kidal, marking the first time the army has held the Tuareg rebel stronghold in nearly a decade.

It was not immediately possible to independently verify the claim announced Tuesday on state broadcaster ORTM as mobile phone networks in Kidal were down.

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“This is a message from the president of the transition to the Malian people,” journalist Ibrahim Traore said in his introduction to the news bulletin.

“Today, our armed and security forces have seized Kidal. Our mission is not over."

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For several days Mali's army, accompanied by mercenaries from the Wagner group, have been battling Tuareg fighters in a bid to take control of the town following the departure of United Nations peacekeepers two weeks ago. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)