Gunmen attacked several locations in Mali’s capital and other cities early Saturday in a possible coordinated attack, residents and officials said. “Unidentified armed terrorist groups targeted some positions and barracks in the capital,” Mali’s army said in a statement on April 25. It said troops were “currently engaged in eliminating the attackers.”
Mali has been plagued by insurgencies fought by al-Qaeda and Islamic State group affiliates, as well as a separatist insurgency in the north, but it is currently unclear who is behind these latest incidents. Heavy weapons and automatic rifle fire was heard from Modibo Keita International Airport, about nine miles from the center of Mali’s capital, Bamako. The airport is adjacent to Kati Airport used by Mali’s Air Force. Helicopters were also seen patrolling the area, AP reported.
Residents in other cities in Mali reported gunfire and explosions on Saturday morning, indicating a possible coordinated attack by armed groups.
A former local mayor told the AP that gunmen entered the northeastern city of Kidal, capturing some neighborhoods and exchanging gunfire with the army.
A resident of Gao said the gunfire and explosions began early Saturday and could be heard until late morning.
He said: “The doors and windows of my house are shaking due to the intensity of the explosion. I am very scared.”
A resident of the town of Kati near Bamako, Mali’s main military base, also said he was woken up by the sound of gunfire and explosions in the early morning.
The independent separatist movement has been fighting for years to create an independent state in northern Mali.
They once drove security forces from the area before a 2015 peace deal, paving the way for some former rebels to integrate into the Malian army.
Mali is currently ruled by a military junta led by General Assimi Goita, who first seized power in a coup in 2020, promising to restore security and push back armed groups.
