# Mali says 82 soldiers held by armed groups have been freed

https://mins.news/en/item/21809

- Al Jazeera, 2026-08-14 03:24 UTC
- World
- Original: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/14/mali-says-82-soldiers-captured-by-armed-groups-have-been-freed?traffic_source=rss

> Mali’s army says 82 soldiers held in the north by al-Qaeda-linked fighters and a Tuareg-led separatist group have been released into government care. The Azawad Liberation Front said it freed about 80 troops for “strictly humanitarian” reasons, while a Malian foreign ministry source said Algeria mediated the release.

## Related coverage

- [Mali says 82 soldiers held since April have been freed](https://mins.news/en/item/21372) — Reuters, 2026-08-13