500 Wagner paramilitaries reportedly enter Mali amid controversy

At least 500 paramilitaries from the controversial private Russian Wagner Group arrived on Thursday in Bamako, Mali’s capital, local security sources confirmed to Anadolu Agency on Friday.

''We confirm the arrival of 500 Russian soldiers,'' the Malian sources told Anadolu Agency, asking not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

The soldiers will be deployed in 10 locations in the West African country, according to local media.

The reported arrival comes as the paramilitary group attracts greater controversy.