Mali attacks: Gunfire, blasts rock Bamako and northern cities in suspected coordinated assault

• An Associated Press journalist heard sustained heavy weapons and automatic rifle fire near Modibo Keita International.
• Airport, about 15 km from the city centre.
• A helicopter was seen flying over nearby neighbourhoods.
• A resident reported gunfire and three helicopters patrolling overhead.

A Reuters witness said two loud explosions and sustained gunfire were heard shortly before 6 am near the Kati military base, a key installation outside the capital, with soldiers blocking roads in the area.

Another resident said, “We hear gunfire towards the military camp. It’s not the airport itself, but the camp that secures the airport.”

Attacks spread to Kidal, Gao, Sevare

Reports of violence emerged from multiple regions, pointing to a broader, coordinated offensive:

• Gunmen entered Kidal, with clashes reported between fighters and the army.
• A resident in Gao said explosions and gunfire began early and continued into the morning.
• Witnesses in Sevare also reported heavy gunfire.

A Gao resident described the intensity:

“The force of the explosions is making the doors and windows of my house shake. I’m scared out of my wits.”

A resident in Kati near Bamako said he was woken by gunfire and explosions.

Rebel claims and uncertainty over responsibility

Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, spokesperson for the Azawad Liberation Front, said on Facebook that its forces had taken control of several areas in Kidal and Gao. The claim could not be independently verified.

Reuters, citing security sources, reported that the al-Qaeda-linked group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) was involved. However, there was no immediate claim of responsibility from JNIM or Islamic State in the Sahel Province.

Long-running conflict and worsening security

Mali has faced years of instability driven by:

• Islamist insurgencies linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.
• A separatist rebellion in the north led by Tuareg groups.
• The collapse of a 2015 peace deal.

The country, along with Niger and Burkina Faso, has seen a surge in militant attacks over the past decade. Military leaders who seized power in coups in 2020 and 2021 had pledged to restore security, but violence has persisted. Analysts say attacks have increased even as the junta shifted alliances from Western partners to Russia for military support.

Strategic tensions and foreign involvement

The government under Assimi Goita has relied on Russian mercenary support while reducing cooperation with Western countries, though recent reports suggest renewed engagement with the United States on intelligence-sharing operations.

(With inputs from AP, Reuters)