The Malian army said it had entered the strategic northern city of Kidal after Tuareg-led separatists announced the withdrawal of their forces as the military advanced.

Two Malian military officers told AFP on Tuesday that government forces had entered the city without encountering resistance.

A military convoy left the town of Anefis earlier in the day and “entered Kidal shortly before 1:00 pm,” one officer said.

“We encountered no resistance. We are on the ground,” he added.

Another officer said government forces had “arrived in Kidal ahead of schedule”.

The advance came shortly after Mali’s armed forces announced “large-scale air-ground operations” across the wider Kidal region alongside Russia’s Africa Corps.

The Tuareg separatist FLA group said earlier on Tuesday that it had decided to carry out a “strategic and controlled withdrawal” from Kidal.

The group said the move was intended to preserve lives and protect its personnel and logistical capabilities, describing the withdrawal as temporary.

Fighting in northern Mali

Kidal was captured earlier this year by Tuareg-led separatists and members of the Al Qaeda-linked JNIM terror group during a series of attacks against Mali’s military government.

The offensive, launched in late April, targeted government forces across northern Mali and included the seizure of Kidal.

A Malian military officer in Gao said troops had been operating across the Kidal region for several days with the aim of securing the area and fighting armed groups.

Mali has faced a prolonged security crisis since 2012, involving terror groups linked to Al Qaeda and Daesh, separatist movements and criminal networks.

Since taking power, Mali’s military authorities have reduced longstanding security ties with former colonial power France and strengthened political and military cooperation with Russia.