February 2013 Kidal attack

Background

In 2012, separatist Tuareg fighters, many aligned with the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA), rebelled against the Malian government, quickly capturing major northern and eastern cities including Kidal and Ménaka. The rebels sought autonomy or independence for the region known as Azawad. Jihadist groups, including Ansar Dine and the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MOJWA), which also sought an independent Azawad but under Shari'a law, subsequently hijacked the rebellion. These groups began attacking the more moderate MNLA and other separatist factions, and also launched suicide bombings targeting civilians.

The Attack

By February 2013, the city of Kidal was under the control of the MNLA and its ally, the Islamic Movement of Azawad (MIA). French and Chadian forces separately controlled the Kidal Airport near the city. At around 7:30 p.m. on February 26, 2013, a Toyota Land Cruiser loaded with explosives approached a checkpoint guarded by the MNLA in the Aliou district of southern Kidal. The vehicle detonated approximately ten meters from the checkpoint as guards were preparing to inspect the driver and vehicle for explosives.

Accounts of who controlled the specific checkpoint varied: a Malian military source in Gao stated the MNLA guarded the checkpoint at the time, a claim corroborated by an MNLA press release mourning the deaths of its fighters. However, Alghabass Ag Intalla, the head of the MIA, claimed the bombing occurred at a checkpoint guarded by his own fighters.

Aftermath

MOJWA publicly claimed responsibility for the attack but did not provide further operational details. Casualty figures reported by different sources varied. Intalla stated that four to six MIA fighters were killed. Local hospital sources reported that seven people were killed in total and eleven others were injured. Separately, an MNLA press release claimed the deaths of seven MNLA fighters, along with injuries to several others. The bodies of those killed were buried in a mass grave the following day.