New Delhi, Aug. 14 -- Separatists in northern Mali have released 82 soldiers, including some taken captive during a nationwide attack on government forces in April, the Malian military and a rebel spokesperson said Thursday.

A statement from the Malian Armed Forces said that the "freed soldiers are now safe and being cared for by the relevant authorities." Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, a spokesperson for the separatist Azawad Liberation Front, confirmed the release.

Mali has been plagued for over a decade by insurgencies by militants affiliated with al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, including JNIM, as well as a Tuareg-led separatist rebellion in the north.

Violence escalated in recent months after an alliance of JNIM and Tuareg sepa...