Mali has come under coordinated attacks, with reports of explosions and gunfire across several locations on Saturday.
Loud blasts were heard shortly before 6am near the Kati military base on the outskirts of Bamako, the capital, followed by sustained gunfire.
The base is situated in the same suburb where junta leader Assimi Goita resides, as soldiers moved to block roads in the area during the incident.
Gunfire was also reported near a military camp close to Bamako’s airport, where Russian mercenary forces are believed to be stationed.
The violence extended beyond the capital, with similar attacks recorded around the same time in Sevare as well as the northern cities of Gao and Kidal.
Residents reported intense exchanges of gunfire in Kati and other key locations.
Mali’s armed forces confirmed that “unidentified armed terrorist groups targeted certain locations and barracks in the capital and the interior early this morning”.
“Fighting is ongoing. We call on the public to remain calm and vigilant. Our defence and security forces are currently engaged in eliminating the attackers. We will provide further updates as more information becomes available. United, we will prevail,” the statement reads.
The army later said the attackers were “immediately met with strong resistance” and that “several terrorists were neutralised,” adding that clearing operations are ongoing and the situation is under control.
Military sources suspect the involvement of Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an al-Qaeda-linked group regarded as one of the most active armed factions in the Sahel.
There were also reports of an attack by an ISIL affiliate in the Sevare region.
Meanwhile, the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), a Tuareg-led rebel alliance, claimed its fighters had made significant advances in the north.
In posts, its spokesperson, Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, said the group “controls the entire city” of Kidal and had entered Gao after neutralising positions on its outskirts.
“In Gao, our forces are now present inside the city, after having neutralised several positions located on the outskirts,” he wrote.
Ramadane also urged authorities in neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger to stay out of the situation.
The attacks come amid ongoing instability in Mali under military rule.
Goita took power in a coup in August 2020 and consolidated control after another coup in May 2021, while a promised return to civilian governance has yet to be fulfilled.
The country has faced over a decade of violence involving jihadist groups, separatist movements, and intercommunal clashes, particularly in northern and central regions.
In recent months, JNIM fighters have intensified efforts to weaken state control, including attacks on fuel tanker convoys supplying Bamako.