Local Timbuktu mat-seller Leitny Cisse al-Djoumat couldn't hide his shock at the sheer amount of mats these strange fellows bought.
"It's the first time someone has bought such a large amount," al-Djoumat told the Associated Press. "They didn't explain why they wanted so many."
Well, AP reporters later figured it all out when they found a xeroxed copy of 22 tips to avoid drone detection.
We've put together the list, which serves as critical intel al-Qaeda in Mali.
(The items have been lightly edited for clarity.)
Use devices that broadcast frequencies or pack of frequencies to disconnect the contacts and confuse the frequencies used to control the drone. "The Mujahideen have had successful experiments using the Russian-made 'Rascal.'"
Spread the reflective pieces of glass on a car or on the roof of the building.
Place a group of skilled snipers to hunt the drone, especially the reconnaissance ones because they fly low, about six kilometers or less.
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