Moroccan Truck Drivers Freed from ISIS Captivity in Mali

Bamako, Mali (AP) - Four Moroccan truck drivers who were abducted by the Islamic State group in West Africa last January have been released, according to Malian authorities on Sunday evening.

The drivers had embarked on a 3,000-mile journey, transporting electrical equipment from Casablanca to Niamey, the capital of Niger, when they disappeared on January 18, 2025, in northeastern Burkina Faso near the Niger border.

A statement from the Malian government, broadcast on public television late Monday, announced that the truck drivers were released "safe and sound" on Sunday.

They had been held by the Islamic State in the Sahel Province, a faction of the broader Islamic State group. Videoclips aired on Malian public television depicted the drivers adorned in traditional Malian attire alongside junta leader Gen Assimi Goïta.

The successful release of the Moroccan nationals was attributed to coordinated efforts between Mali's National State Security Agency and Morocco's foreign intelligence service.

For over a decade, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have been combating insurgencies by armed groups linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State.

After recent military coups, these countries expelled French forces, opting for support from Russian mercenary units, yet the security landscape has worsened.

In May, extremist elements abducted two Chinese nationals at an artisanal gold mining site in Mali. Earlier in the year, Moroccan authorities arrested a dozen individuals planning attacks for the Islamic State's Sahel subgroup.

Morocco has been positioning itself as a regional leader, forging stronger relations with Sahel countries. Foreign ministers from Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso have expressed backing for a Moroccan initiative that would allow them access to the Atlantic Ocean via its ports.

Previously, Rabat mediated the release of four French intelligence agents held in Burkina Faso last year.

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