Gunfire and blasts rock Mali as attackers hit capital and other cities, residents say
Gunmen launched attacks on several sites in Mali’s capital, Bamako, and in other cities early Saturday in what residents and officials described as a possibly coordinated assault.Mali’s army said unidentified armed groups targeted certain locations and military barracks in the capital, and that soldiers were actively trying to repel the attackers. The country has been battling insurgencies connected to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, along with a separatist rebellion in the north.
An Associated Press reporter near Bamako’s Modibo Keïta International Airport heard sustained heavy weaponry and automatic gunfire and saw a helicopter flying over nearby neighborhoods. The airport borders an air base used by Mali’s air force, and a nearby resident reported gunfire and three helicopters patrolling overhead.Gunfire and blasts were also reported in other cities across Mali on Saturday morning, suggesting a possible coordinated attack by armed groups.
In the northeastern city of Kidal, gunmen entered some neighborhoods and engaged in gun battles with the army, according to a former mayor who spoke to AP on condition of anonymity. The Azawad separatist movement has long fought to create an independent state in northern Mali; a 2015 peace deal temporarily integrated some ex-rebels into the Malian military, though that agreement later collapsed.
Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, a spokesman for the Azawad Liberation Front, said on Facebook that its forces had taken control of several areas in Kidal and Gao, another northeastern city, though AP could not independently verify the claim. A Gao resident said explosions and gunfire began early Saturday and continued into late morning, with the resident describing the blasts as shaking doors and windows and expressing fear. The gunfire appeared to originate from the nearby army camp and the airport, which are next to each other.
A resident of Kati, a town near Bamako that hosts Mali’s main military base and is home to the junta’s leader Gen. Assimi Goïta, said he woke to gunfire and explosions. The U.S. Embassy in Bamako issued a security alert noting reports of explosions and gunfire near Kati and the Modibo Keïta International Airport and urged U.S.citizens to shelter in place and avoid travel to those sites until more data becomes available.
In 2024, an al-Qaida-linked group claimed an attack on Bamako’s airport and a military training camp in the capital, killing scores. mali, along with Niger and Burkina Faso, has long fought armed groups affiliated with al-Qaida and Islamic state, a conflict that has intensified over the past decade. Following military coups, the juntas in the three countries have shifted from Western partners to Russia for help in countering Islamic militants. Analysts say the security situation in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso has worsened recently, with a record number of militant attacks, and government forces have been accused of killing civilians suspected of assisting militants.
DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Gunmen attacked several locations in Mali’s capital and other cities early Saturday in a possible coordinated assault, residents and authorities said.
Mali’s army said in a statement that “unidentified armed terrorist groups targeted certain locations and barracks in the capital.” It added that soldiers were “currently engaged in eliminating the attackers.”
Mali has been plagued by insurgencies fought by affiliates of al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, as well as a separatist rebellion in the north.
An Associated Press journalist in Bamako heard sustained heavy weapons and automatic rifle gunfire coming from Modibo Keïta International Airport, around 15 kilometers (9 miles) from the city center, and saw a helicopter over nearby neighborhoods. The airport is adjacent to an air base used by Mali’s air force. A resident living near the airport also reported gunfire and three helicopters patrolling overhead.
Residents in other cities in Mali reported gunfire and blasts on Saturday morning, suggesting a possible coordinated attack by armed groups.
Gunmen entered the northeastern city of Kidal, taking control of some neighborhoods and leading to gunfire exchanges with the army, a former mayor of Kidal told AP over the phone. He spoke on condition of anonymity out of fear for his safety.
The Azawad separatist movement has been fighting for years to create the state of Azawad in northern Mali. They once drove security forces from the region, before a 2015 peace deal that has since collapsed paved the way for some ex-rebels to be integrated into the Malian military.
Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, a spokesperson for the Azawad Liberation Front, said on Facebook its forces had taken control of several areas of Kidal and Gao, another northeastern city. The AP could not independently verify his claim.
A resident of Gao said gunfire and explosions started in the early hours of Saturday and could still be heard in the 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.
A resident of Kati, a town near Bamako that is home to Mali’s main military base, also said he was woken up early in the morning by the sounds of gunfire and explosions. Gen. Assimi Goita, the leader of Mali’s military junta, resides in Kati.
The U.S. Embassy in Bamako issued a security alert, saying “there have been reports of explosions and gunfire near Kati and the Modibo Keita International Airport in Bamako” and that “U.S. citizens should shelter in place and avoid travel to these destinations until further information becomes available.”
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.
Mali, alongside neighboring Niger and Burkina Faso, has long been battling armed groups affiliated with al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, a fight that has escalated over the past decade.
Following military coups, the juntas in the three countries have turned from Western allies to Russia for help combating Islamic militants.
But the security situation in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso has worsened in recent times, analysts say, with a record number of attacks by militants. Government forces have also been accused of killing civilians they suspect of collaborating with militants.
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