Mali's army, supported by Russian paramilitary forces, has re-entered the northern town of Kidal, forcing the Tuareg separatists to withdraw from the strategic hold, in a symbolic boost for the country's military government and its Russian allies.

Axar.az reports, citing Deutsche Welle, that the Tuareg separatist Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) said in a statement it had "decided to carry out a strategic and controlled withdrawal of its forces from the town of Kidal." It said the withdrawal took place without direct fighting.

This followed the "disproportionate use of aerial assets by Russian mercenaries from the Africa Corps," according to an FLA spokesperson.

It should be noted that on Tuesday, separatists from the Azawad Liberation Front (ALF) said they had been forced to leave Kidal, which they had controlled for about five months.