The Malian Army on Wednesday confirmed the arrest of three Europeans who were among a group of suspected jihadists in the country.

A spokesman of the Malian army said in statement on Wednesday, the three Europeans were part an Islamist insurgent group wreaking havoc in the country’s northern Sahel regions since 2012.

The military authority, which has ruled the West African country since 2020, was accused of carrying out a massacre of civilians at the beginning of this month.

But the army defended its actions, saying the operations were necessary to push back the jihadists.