Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger issued a joint statement on Sunday, recalling their ambassadors to Algeria in protest against the downing of a Malian military drone by Algerian forces.

The three governments "strongly condemned" Algeria's actions, stating that the drone strike "disrupted an operation targeting a group planning a terrorist attack."

In response, Algeria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday expressed regret over "having to apply the principle of reciprocity," confirming the recall of its ambassadors to Mali and Niger, and the decision to postpone the deployment of a new envoy to Burkina Faso.

According to a recent statement by Mali's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, a preliminary investigation confirmed that the drone was downed as part of a "premeditated hostile act" by Algeria.

The incident occurred from the night of March 31 to the early hours of April 1, with the drone crashing within Malian territory, about 9.5 km from the Algerian border. The aerial vehicle "almost fell vertically," which strongly suggested that it was hit by a surface-to-air or air-to-air missile, the statement added.

On April 1, Algeria's Ministry of Defense said that the armed reconnaissance drone had violated Algerian airspace and was shot down after penetrating more than two km into its territory.

Tensions between Mali and Algeria have persisted in recent years, with the Malian side accusing Algeria of "harboring terrorist groups in border regions."

In January 2024, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger jointly announced their withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States, following sanctions imposed by the bloc after military coups in the three countries.

On July 6, 2024, the military leaders of the three countries held the first summit of the Alliance of Sahel States in Niamey, the capital of Niger, and announced the establishment of the Confederation of Sahel States. (Xinhua)