Adrar des Ifoghas
Since early February, Chadian and French troops have occupied Kidal, using it as a key military base to house their troops and to renew counter-attacks on jihadists rebels in the Adrar des Ifoghas, situated just north of the city. The city has been targeted on several occasions since then. On 5 April, after the French-led Operation Panther had ended, the Chadian army left the Adrar des Ifoghas mountains after weeks of battling Islamists to return their main base located on the outskirts of Kidal, bringing the number of troops there to 1,800.