The Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), a coalition of Tuareg and northern separatist factions, announced a "controlled withdrawal" from the strategic town of Kidal in northern Mali. This comes six months after they captured the town, citing sustained air strikes by Malian troops backed by Russian fighters. Pro-government forces, including Russian paramilitaries, re-entered Kidal on Tuesday afternoon, according to a security source. Mali's military had launched large-scale air and ground operations in the region earlier on Tuesday.