Armed militants launched what appears to be a coordinated assault on multiple locations across Mali early Saturday morning, striking the West African nation’s capital and several other major cities, according to local residents and government officials.
Mali’s military confirmed in an official statement that “unidentified armed terrorist groups targeted certain locations and barracks in the capital.” The army added that its forces were “currently engaged in eliminating the attackers.”
The troubled nation has faced ongoing conflicts with militant groups linked to al-Qaeda and ISIS, along with separatist fighters operating in northern regions.
A journalist with the Associated Press reported hearing continuous heavy gunfire and automatic weapons fire emanating from Modibo Keïta International Airport, located approximately 15 kilometers from Bamako’s center. Military helicopters were observed flying over surrounding areas. The airport sits next to an air base operated by Mali’s military. A local resident near the facility confirmed the gunfire and reported seeing three helicopters conducting patrols above.
Citizens in additional Malian cities described hearing weapons fire and explosions Saturday morning, indicating the attacks may have been synchronized across multiple locations.
Armed fighters penetrated the northeastern city of Kidal, seizing control of certain districts and engaging in firefights with military personnel, according to a former Kidal mayor who spoke to AP by telephone. The individual requested anonymity due to safety concerns.
The Azawad separatist faction has waged a prolonged campaign to establish an independent state called Azawad in Mali’s northern territory. These rebels previously expelled government security forces from the area before a 2015 peace agreement, which later fell apart, allowed some former insurgents to join Mali’s armed forces.
Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, speaking for the Azawad Liberation Front, claimed on Facebook that his organization’s fighters had seized multiple areas in both Kidal and Gao, another northeastern city. The Associated Press was unable to independently confirm these assertions.
A Gao resident reported that gunfire and explosions began in the predawn hours Saturday and continued into late morning.
“The force of the explosions is making the doors and windows of my house shake. I’m scared out of my wits,” the resident told AP by phone. He spoke on condition of anonymity because of concerns for his safety. The resident said the gunfire came from the army camp and the airport, which are right next to each other.
In Kati, a community close to Bamako that houses Mali’s primary military installation, another resident reported being awakened early by sounds of gunfire and explosions.
Last year, an al-Qaeda-affiliated organization took responsibility for an assault on Bamako’s airport and a military training facility in the capital that resulted in dozens of deaths.
Mali, together with neighboring countries Niger and Burkina Faso, has struggled for years against armed organizations connected to al-Qaeda and ISIS, with violence intensifying over the last ten years.
After military takeovers, the ruling governments in these three nations shifted away from Western partnerships toward Russian assistance in their fight against Islamic extremists.
However, security conditions across Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso have deteriorated recently, according to experts, with militant attacks reaching record levels. Government troops have also faced accusations of killing civilians suspected of supporting militants.
