CONFLICT ZONE: Mali

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Across Mali’s insurgency-hit towns, the conventional military is colliding with separatist rebels and jihadi militants. More than a decade into the conflict, the country has entered a new and increasingly complex phase. The Malian Armed Forces known as Forces Armées Maliennes (FAMa), supported by Russia’s Africa Corps, is facing simultaneous pressure from Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an al-Qaeda-linked militant alliance, and the regional separatist group Tuareg-led Azawad Liberation Front (FLA). This became evident in the renewed escalation with coordinated attacks in different Malian cities in April and July.    According to reports in Al Jazeera, citing Armed Conflict Location & Event Data, the JNIM employs more conventional weapons, including mortars, rockets, anti-aircraft weapons and landmines. This photo feature offers an asymmetric contrast in the military capabilities of the two sides— from improvised systems used by government and Russian forces to small arms and mines employed by the insurgent groups.     Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 drone in the first picture remains an important part of the FAMa’s arsenal. Bayraktar TB2 is a medium-altitude, long-endurance unmanned combat aerial vehicle, capable of autonomous flight operations. Manufactured by Turkish defence company Baykar, it is primarily used for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and strike missions.