(../../../../favicon_aje.ico) Tuareg rebels free more Malian soldiers in prisoner swap, sources say | Al-Qaeda News | Al Jazeera    (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/29/tuareg-rebels-free-more-malian-soldiers-in-prisoner-swap-sources-say)                                              (https://www.aljazeera.com/xml/rss/all.xml)  (https://www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2026/8/29/tuareg-rebels-free-more-malian-soldiers-in-prisoner-swap-sources-say)  (https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/2026-04-27T121509Z_1695817415_RC2MXKAWT8W6_RTRMADP_3_MALI-SECURITY-1787963389.jpg?resize=1200%2C630)  (../../../../wp-content/uploads/2026/08/2026-04-27T121509Z_1695817415_RC2MXKAWT8W6_RTRMADP_3_MALI-SECURITY-1787963389.jpg@resize=770,513&quality=80)     (https://cdn.cookielaw.org) (https://cdn.cookielaw.org) (https://cdn.cookielaw.org) (https://cdn.cookielaw.org/scripttemplates/otSDKStub.js) (https://www.google-analytics.com) (https://www.google-analytics.com) (https://www.google-analytics.com) (https://static.chartbeat.com/) (https://static.chartbeat.com/) (https://static.chartbeat.com/) (../../../../static/css/vendor~main~d08ff9cb.24bf1742.r2.chunk.css) (../../../../static/css/component~main~748942c6.6c6e15fe.r2.chunk.css) (../../../../static/css/component~main~b07b7304.25927f0e.r2.chunk.css) (../../../../static/css/component~main~6e6dca10.74fd263a.r2.chunk.css) (../../../../static/css/component~main~5db14389.c7afea12.r2.chunk.css) (../../../../static/media/Roboto-Bold.52bb58c8.woff2) (../../../../static/media/Roboto-Regular.c5bf51b6.woff2)  (../../../../static/css/vendor~aje/containers/home-page~components/video-article/videoPageDispatcher~containers/amp-live-blo~5f903362.2e08e417.r2.chunk.css)  (../../../../static/css/component~aje/containers/home-page~components/video-article/videoPageDispatcher~containers/amp-live-~9c0c5d0c.c65718e9.r2.chunk.css)  (../../../../static/css/component~components/video-article/videoPageDispatcher~containers/amp-live-blog-container~containers~72501995.3d2cbba2.r2.chunk.css)  (../../../../static/css/component~components/video-article/videoPageDispatcher~pages/amp-article~pages/article-page~493df0b3.1e546aab.r2.chunk.css)  (../../../../static/css/common~493df0b3.5839b1ed.r2.chunk.css)   Skip links (tuareg-rebels-free-more-malian-soldiers-in-prisoner-swap-sources-say@traffic_source=rss.html#main-content-area) Skip to Content  (https://www.aljazeera.com/)          (https://www.aljazeera.com/video/live) play    Live    Sign up  Show navigation menu     Navigation menu (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/) News    Show more news sections  (https://www.aljazeera.com/africa/) Africa   (https://www.aljazeera.com/asia/) Asia   (https://www.aljazeera.com/us-canada/) US & Canada   (https://www.aljazeera.com/latin-america/) Latin America   (https://www.aljazeera.com/europe/) Europe   (https://www.aljazeera.com/asia-pacific/) Asia Pacific      (https://www.aljazeera.com/middle-east/) Middle East   (https://www.aljazeera.com/tag/explainer/) Explained   (https://www.aljazeera.com/sports) Sport   (https://www.aljazeera.com/opinion/) Opinion   (https://www.aljazeera.com/videos/) Video   More   Show more sections  (https://www.aljazeera.com/features/) Features   (https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/) Economy   (https://www.aljazeera.com/tag/human-rights/) Human Rights   (https://www.aljazeera.com/climate-crisis) Climate Crisis   (https://www.aljazeera.com/investigations/) Investigations   (https://www.aljazeera.com/interactives/) Interactives   (https://www.aljazeera.com/gallery/) In Pictures   (https://www.aljazeera.com/tag/science-and-technology/) Science & Technology   (https://www.aljazeera.com/audio/podcasts) Podcasts   (https://www.aljazeera.com/travel) Travel   (https://www.aljazeera.com/sponsored/) Sponsored Content        (https://www.aljazeera.com/video/live) play    Live    Click here to search search     Sign up        (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/) News |(https://www.aljazeera.com/tag/al-qaeda/) Al-Qaeda   Tuareg rebels free more Malian soldiers in prisoner swap, sources say Tuareg rebels have freed about 60 Malian soldiers in exchange for one of their own leaders, security sources said.   Listen   Listen (3 mins)       Save       Share Tuareg rebels free more Malian soldiers in prisoner swap, sources say on social media share-nodes    Share (https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Faje.news%2F4or9pw) facebook      (https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Tuareg%20rebels%20free%20more%20Malian%20soldiers%20in%20prisoner%20swap%2C%20sources%20say&source=sharethiscom&related=sharethis&via=AJEnglish&url=https%3A%2F%2Faje.news%2F4or9pw) x    (whatsapp://send?text=https%3A%2F%2Faje.news%2F4or9pw) whatsapp-stroke    (https://aje.news/4or9pw)  copylink          google       Add Al Jazeera on Google  info      (A Malian soldier stands near a truck during a patrol following the attack on Mali's main military base Kati, outside the capital Bamako, in Kati, Mali, April 27, 2026 [Stringer/Reuters])   A Malian soldier stands near a truck during a patrol following the attack on Mali's main military base outside the capital Bamako, in Kati, Mali, on April 27, 2026 [Stringer/Reuters]   By  Al Jazeera Staffand AFP   Published On 29 Aug 2026 29 Aug 2026    Tuareg rebels have freed about 60 Malian soldiers in exchange for one of their own leaders, a former Malian army officer turned defector named Inkinane Ag Attaher, security sources have said. Ag Attaher was a prominent figure in the Tuareg-led Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) when he was arrested by Nigerian security forces near the Niger-Nigeria border in 2025. He was accused of orchestrating drone training, coordinating deadly attacks in Mali and acting as an international liaison. Recommended Stories list of 3 items list 1 of 3 (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/14/mali-says-82-soldiers-captured-by-armed-groups-have-been-freed) Mali says 82 soldiers captured by armed groups have been freed  list 2 of 3 (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/22/how-armed-group-alliances-are-reshaping-malis-conflict-and-the-wider-sahel) How armed group alliances are reshaping Mali’s conflict and the wider Sahel  list 3 of 3 (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/27/why-malis-northern-conflict-has-entered-a-dangerous-new-phase) Why Mali’s northern conflict has entered a dangerous new phase   end of list  “Around 60 soldiers were transported yesterday [Thursday] to Niger to be exchanged for Inkinane Ag Attaher and individuals allegedly linked to JNIM [Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin],” a group affiliated with al-Qaeda, a Malian security source told AFP news agency. The agreement was directly overseen by Niger’s government, a second security source said. Mohamed El Maouloud Ramadane, an FLA spokesman, welcomed Ag Attaher’s release in a post on Facebook, sending him “wishes of courage, strength and serenity for the continuation of the struggle”. The development is the latest in a series of releases of prisoners taken hostage in northern Mali by al-Qaeda-linked fighters and Tuareg rebels, including Russian mercenaries. The Tuareg rebels said some of their own men held in Malian prisons were also freed. (General Abdoulaye Maiga, Mali’s prime minister, visited Algiers on Monday in a bid to re-establish high-level talks between the sides after tensions caused by disagreements over regional security)  General Abdoulaye Maiga, Mali’s prime minister, visited Algiers on Monday in a bid to re-establish high-level talks between the sides after tensions caused by disagreements over regional security [File: Sean Gallup/Getty Images]  Sources in Mali have told Al Jazeera that Algeria has been helping to mediate over the release of its soldiers. Advertisement    On Monday, General Abdoulaye Maiga, Mali’s prime minister, visited Algiers in a bid to re-establish high-level talks with the Algerian government after tensions caused by disagreements over regional security. Bamako has publicly ruled out talks with groups it calls terrorists, but the releases suggest channels of communication remain open while the fighting continues. JNIM and the FLA claimed responsibility for a series of attacks on April 25 targeting Bamako’s airport and several other locations. That day, Defence Minister Sadio Camara was killed in a bombing at his residence in Kati. The two groups also claimed ‌responsibility for attacks on army positions across Mali on July 4. Elisee Jean Dao, chief of the general staff of Mali’s armed forces, issued a warning to those who continue to fight against the Malian army. “Wherever the enemy is, we will go after them and defeat them, until they lay down their weapons. For those who are Malians, our country has a peace process that allows them to come back. So I want to make that appeal again. It is not too late. The door is still open,” he said. Al Jazeera correspondent Nicolas Haque said fighting is continuing beyond Mali’s borders and across the Sahel, but the prisoner releases and Algeria’s mediation could see more soldiers freed. (Soldiers of the Malian army are seen during a patrol on the road between Mopti and Djenne, in central Mali, on February 28, 2020 [Michele Cattani/AFP))  Soldiers of the Malian army are seen during a patrol on the road between Mopti and Djenne, in central Mali [File: Michele Cattani/AFP]  Mali has been fighting a civil war since 2012, when a Tuareg separatist rebellion in the north gave way to armed campaigns by groups linked to al-Qaeda and ISIL (ISIS). The military has ruled the country since a 2021 coup, pledging to restore order and unite the country. JNIM has gained in strength ‌since the Malian soldiers who seized power expelled French forces and some 15,000 United Nations peacekeepers, ‌and turned to Russian paramilitaries for defence support. While the FLA presents itself as a secular nationalist movement seeking independence for Mali’s Azawad region and JNIM is an al-Qaeda-affiliated group, the two sides (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/27/why-malis-northern-conflict-has-entered-a-dangerous-new-phase) have set ideological differences aside to confront the Malian government.            aj-logo             aj-logo             aj-logo       Advertisement          About About   Show more  (https://www.aljazeera.com/about-us) About Us   (https://www.aljazeera.com/code-of-ethics/) Code of Ethics   (https://www.aljazeera.com/terms-and-conditions/) Terms and Conditions   (https://www.aljazeera.com/eu-eea-regulatory/) EU/EEA Regulatory Notice   (https://privacy.aljazeera.net/) Privacy Policy   (https://privacy.aljazeera.net/cookie/) Cookie Policy   (https://www.aljazeera.com/) Cookie Preferences    (https://trust.aljazeera.net/accessibility/) Accessibility Statement   (https://www.aljazeera.com/sitemap) Sitemap   (https://careers.aljazeera.net/) Work for us      Connect Connect   Show more  (https://network.aljazeera.net/en/contact?tid=6) Contact Us   (https://www.aljazeera.com/user-accounts-help) User Accounts Help   (https://commercial.aljazeera.net/) Advertise with us   (https://www.aljazeera.com/stay-connected) Stay Connected   (https://www.aljazeera.com/newsletters) Newsletters   (https://sat.aljazeera.net/en) Channel Finder   (https://www.aljazeera.com/schedule/) TV Schedule   (https://www.aljazeera.com/podcasts/) Podcasts   (https://webapps.aljazeera.net/aje/tips/) Submit a Tip   (https://www.aljazeera.com/sponsored) Paid Partner Content      Our Channels Our Channels   Show more  (http://aljazeera.net/) Al Jazeera Arabic   (https://www.aljazeera.com/) Al Jazeera English   (https://www.ajiunit.com/) Al Jazeera Investigative Unit   (https://www.aljazeeramubasher.net/) Al Jazeera Mubasher   (http://doc.aljazeera.net/) Al Jazeera Documentary   (http://balkans.aljazeera.net/) Al Jazeera Balkans   (http://ajplus.net/) AJ+      Our Network Our Network   Show more  (http://studies.aljazeera.net/en/) Al Jazeera Centre for Studies   (http://training.aljazeera.net/) Al Jazeera Media Institute   (http://learning.aljazeera.net/) Learn Arabic   (http://liberties.aljazeera.com/en) Al Jazeera Centre for Public Liberties & Human Rights   (http://forum.aljazeera.net/) Al Jazeera Forum   (https://hotels.aljazeera.net/en) Al Jazeera Hotel Partners        Follow Al Jazeera English: (https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera) facebook       (https://twitter.com/ajenglish) twitter     (https://www.youtube.com/aljazeeraenglish) youtube     (https://www.instagram.com/aljazeeraenglish/?hl=en) instagram-colored-outline                          (https://www.aljazeera.com/xml/rss/all.xml) rss       (Al Jazeera Media Network logo)   © 2026 Al Jazeera Media Network