Islamic militants and separatists launched coordinated attacks on several locations in Mali's capital and other cities on Saturday, marking one of the largest such assaults in the country in recent years.
Attacks on Bamako and Other Cities
The al-Qaida-linked militant group JNIM claimed responsibility for the strikes on Bamako's international airport and four other cities in central and northern Mali, according to its website Az-Zallaqa. The group stated that the attacks were carried out jointly with the Azawad Liberation Front, a Tuareg-led separatist movement.
Mali has long faced insurgencies from affiliates of al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, as well as a separatist rebellion in the north.
Military Response
The Malian army reported that “unidentified armed terrorist groups targeted certain locations and barracks” in Bamako, with soldiers “engaged in eliminating the attackers.” A later statement declared the situation under control.
An Associated Press journalist in Bamako heard sustained heavy weapons and automatic rifle fire from Modibo Keïta International Airport, approximately 15 km from the city centre, and observed a helicopter over nearby neighbourhoods. The airport is adjacent to an airbase used by Mali's air force. A resident living near the airport also reported gunfire and three helicopters patrolling overhead.
US Embassy Alert
The US embassy in Bamako issued a security alert, citing reports of explosions and gunfire near Kati and the international airport, urging US citizens to shelter in place and avoid travel in the area.
A resident of Kati, a town near Bamako that hosts Mali's main military base, said he was awakened by gunfire and explosions. General Assimi Goita, leader of Mali's military junta, resides in Kati. The residence of Defence Minister Sadio Camara was heavily damaged by an explosion during the attack, according to a nearby shopkeeper who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.
Social Media Videos
Videos on social media showed militant convoys in trucks and motorcycles moving through Kati's deserted streets, with residents looking on fearfully.
Residents of Sévaré and Mopti, two towns in central Mali, also reported attacks by gunmen. Other videos from the northern towns of Kidal and Gao showed gunfire exchanges in the streets, with dead bodies lying on the ground.
Insurgents Enter Kidal
Insurgents entered Kidal, taking control of some neighbourhoods and leading to exchanges of fire with the army, a former mayor of the town told the AP by phone, speaking on condition of anonymity for safety reasons.
Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, a spokesperson for the Azawad movement, claimed on Facebook that its forces had taken control of Kidal and some areas in Gao. The AP could not independently verify this claim.
Kidal had long been a stronghold of the separatist rebellion before being taken by Malian government forces and Russian mercenaries in 2023. Its capture was a significant symbolic victory for the junta and its Russian allies.
Azawad separatists have been fighting for years to establish an independent state in northern Mali.
Gao Under Attack
A resident of Gao, the largest city in northern Mali, reported that gunfire and explosions began in the early hours of 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 man said by phone, speaking on condition of anonymity. He noted that the gunfire originated from the army camp and the adjacent airport.
Analysis
Ulf Laessing, head of the Sahel programme at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, described the assault as the largest coordinated attack in years in Mali. “It's especially concerning that JNIM apparently has been coordinating today's attacks with Tuareg rebels. Jihadists and Tuareg rebels teamed up in 2012 when they overran northern Mali, sparking the region's security crisis,” Laessing said.
Mali, alongside neighbouring Niger and Burkina Faso, has long battled armed groups affiliated with al-Qaida and the Islamic State group. After military coups, the juntas in these countries have turned from Western allies to Russia for help in combating Islamic militants. However, analysts say the security situation has worsened recently, with a record number of militant attacks. Government forces have also been accused of killing civilians suspected of collaborating with militants.
In 2024, an al-Qaida-linked group claimed an attack on Bamako's airport and a military training camp in the capital, killing scores of people.
