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.)