The Malian government has confirmed the successful release of four Moroccan truck drivers who were kidnapped by militants affiliated with the Islamic State (IS) in Burkina Faso earlier this year.
According to an official statement broadcast on national television on August 4, the drivers, who had been held captive since January 18 near Burkina Faso’s northeastern border with Niger, were found alive and in good health on the evening of Sunday, August 3.
The Moroccan nationals had been seized in a region notorious for instability and the growing presence of jihadist groups. Malian authorities identified the captors as members of the Islamic State’s Sahel province, a faction operating across the porous border areas of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso.
Their release marks a significant breakthrough in regional counterterrorism cooperation. The operation was jointly conducted by Mali’s National Agency for State Security (ANSE) and Morocco’s Directorate General for Studies and Documentation (DGED). The Malian government praised the coordination, noting it was marked by “determination and professionalism from the first hours of the kidnapping.”
“The hostages’ release was the result of a joint operation between Mali’s National Agency for State Security (ANSE) and Morocco’s Directorate General for Studies and Documentation (DGED),” the statement read, highlighting the strong collaboration between Bamako and Rabat.
Authorities have not disclosed whether any negotiations or conditions were involved in securing the drivers’ freedom. The operation underscores the persistent threat facing civilians and commercial operators in the tri-border area, where kidnappings and armed attacks have surged in recent years.
The successful rescue operation is likely to bolster security ties between Mali and Morocco, as both countries continue to grapple with the complex challenges of transnational terrorism in the Sahel.
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