The Front for the Liberation of Azawad, the Tuareg independence movement in the north of the country, accused soldiers and Russian mercenaries from the Wagner group of intercepting two civilian transport vehicles bound for Algeria from Gao on Monday, and “coldly executing” at least 24 people among the passengers.

BAMAKO, Mali — Mali’s army said it’s investigating soldiers who were accused by separatist Tuareg rebels of killing at least 24 civilians earlier this week, in a rare probe of human rights abuses since the military took power in 2020.

Around 20 people were killed in northern Mali when the vehicles they were travelling in came under attack earlier this week with local sources saying Wagner mercenaries and Mali's army were responsible.

The nongovernmental organization Human Rights Watch in December denounced the "atrocities" committed against civilians by the Malian army and its Russian ally Wagner, as well as by Islamist armed groups.

Mali's military government says it is investigating allegations that soldiers "coldly executed" at least 24 civilians in the north of the country on Monday. That claim was made by a separatist Tuareg rebel alliance,