The Malian government has confirmed the safe release of four Moroccan truck drivers who were abducted on January 18 in northeastern Burkina Faso near the Niger border.
The victims had been held by the Sahel branch of the Islamic State (IS) group, which operates in the volatile tri-border region plagued by insecurity and jihadist violence.
According to a statement broadcast on national television, the hostages were rescued on Sunday, August 3, through a coordinated intelligence operation led by Mali’s National Agency for State Security (ANSE) and Morocco’s Directorate General for Studies and Documentation (DGED).
While the exact circumstances of the release remain undisclosed, the operation underscores the growing collaboration between Mali and Morocco in addressing regional security threats amid rising abductions of civilians and transport workers.
