An armed group linked to Al-Qaeda announced today, Tuesday, the killing of 4 members of the Russian private security group "Wagner" in an ambush in central Mali, a day after the last French soldier left the country.

A statement by a group calling itself the Support of Islam and Muslims said that its members ambushed Wagner soldiers last Saturday, when they were on motorcycles in Bandiagara district, heading from Dagalo village to the mountains.

The statement stated that the group's members killed 4 Wagner members, while the rest fled.

Agence France-Presse quoted two local officials as authenticating the incident, while a senior official in the Malian army refused to confirm or deny it.

And the "Group to Support Islam and Muslims" - whose influence is expanding on the ground - includes a diverse group of groups that are active in Mali and neighboring Burkina Faso.

The last soldiers of the French "Barkhane" force left Mali yesterday, Monday, after 9 years of their presence there, and thus France ended the withdrawal of its forces after popular demonstrations calling for the speedy departure of these forces.

In parallel with the deterioration of its relations with Paris, Bamako recently strengthened its relations with Moscow, and obtained from it military and political support.

A few days ago, Mali revealed that it had received new military equipment from Russia, including 5 aircraft and a military helicopter.