Operation Serval and Omar Ould Hamaha were killed, while Mokhtar Belmokhtar fled to Libya and Iyad ag Ghali fled to Algeria. The operation is named after the medium-sized African wild cat species Serval. In January 2012, following an influx of weapons that occurred after the Libyan Civil War, Tuareg tribesmen of the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) began a rebellion against Mali's central government. In April, the MNLA said it had accomplished its goals and called off its offensive against the government, proclaiming the independence of Azawad. In June 2012, the MNLA came into conflict with the Islamist groups
Military leadership in the Afghan Civil War Military leadership in the Afghan Civil War The Civil War in Afghanistan (1978–present), also known as the "Afghan Civil War" and several other names, was a civil war in Afghanistan. The civil war started when the Communist Party of Afghanistan took all political power in Afghanistan on 27 April 1978. This event led indirectly to the Soviet military intervention in Afghanistan. Sergei Sokolov Valentin Varennikov Boris Gromov Babrak Karmal (PDPA) Mohammad Najibullah (PDPA) Abdul Rashid Dostum (PDPA) Burhanuddin Rabbani (Islamic State) Ahmed Shah Massoud † (Islamic State) Mohammed Fahim (Islamic State) Bismillah Khan (Islamic Republic) Tommy Franks (CENTCOM) John P.