Malian army denies releasing jihadists to end fuel convoy attacks

While security and political sources had initially reported the release of more than 100 jihadists, a Malian security source and local elected representative later said around 200 had been freed. The deal included a truce that is supposed to remain in force until the major Muslim festival of Tabaski, which takes place at the end of May.

"These remarks, reported by certain media outlets, are intended to tarnish Mali's image and undermine trust between the people and their institutions, and particularly between the Malian people and their defence and security forces," Souleymane Dembele, director of information and public relations for the armed forces, told a press briefing.

"This is pure manipulation, completely unfounded and lacking any reliable source," he said.

Since September, jihadists from the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims, an Al-Qaeda affiliate known by its Arab acronym JNIM, have been attacking tanker convoys, bringing the capital Bamako to a standstill at the height of the crisis in October.

Despite several months of calm, Bamako residents faced a diesel shortage at the beginning of March, with fuel being prioritised for use in the energy sector.

The deal involving the supposed jihadists was reached in mid-March and came as the situation improved significantly in Mali's capital following the arrival of fuel convoys. Two of the suspected jihadists died after being freed, a community association representative and elected official told AFP at the time.

On Sunday another of the suspected jihadists died, according to his family. Since 2012, Mali has faced a profound security crisis fuelled in particular by violence from groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, as well as local criminal gangs and pro-independence groups.