HRW’s latest report details how a combat aircraft—identified by two Malian military sources as a Sukhoi Su-24—dropped at least two bombs on Kyrnia. The first struck near the village chief’s home, killing his wife, two of his children, and another young resident. The second bomb landed in a nearby livestock market, where four men perished. After analyzing the attack’s circumstances, HRW concluded the strikes lacked precision targeting and may constitute indiscriminate assaults.

Africa Corps claims strike targeted armed groups

Africa Corps, a paramilitary unit operating under Russia’s Defense Ministry and fighting alongside Malian forces, posted aerial footage on social media purporting to show a June 15 strike. The group asserted it had hit a gathering of “terrorist militants” in Mopti but provided no evidence of civilian casualties. HRW, however, geolocated the footage to Kyrnia, adding that no members of Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM)—the Al-Qaeda affiliate reportedly controlling the area for years—appear to have been among the dead.

Local witnesses told HRW that three of the village chief’s sons are JNIM members but were absent during the strike. They also noted that armed fighters were present in Kyrnia, primarily inside an untouched mosque. The rights group has urged Malian authorities to launch a full inquiry and hold those responsible to account, emphasizing that joint Malian-Russian operations have repeatedly faced allegations of human rights violations.

ACLED data indicates that 918 civilians were killed in 2025 during operations linked to Malian forces and their Russian allies. Meanwhile, both the United Nations and Amnesty International have previously called for probes into alleged war crimes committed by JNIM and the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA).