As Drones Change Warfare in Africa, Civilians Pay the Price
- African militaries opt for combat drones, cheaper than jets
- Popularity spiked after Ukraine war, which demonstrated use
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The first bomb exploded just a few feet from the local health clinic in a rural Mali village, sending people and animals fleeing. The second hit a nearby shed.
The drone strikes in Amasrakad village on March 16 killed 13 women and children and injured scores of others, according to Amnesty International. Hours later, an army spokesman appeared on state TV to say that it carried out a strike in the area targeting “Islamist fighters.”