Mali Hit by Largest Coordinated Armed Attacks in Years, Gunfire Heard in Capital Bamako

Mali faced its largest coordinated armed assault in years on Saturday evening, with intense fighting breaking out simultaneously in the capital Bamako and multiple northern cities. Analysts described it as the largest jihadist attack the country has experienced in recent years.

Scope of the Attacks

Explosions and sustained gunfire were reported in Bamako as armed groups launched coordinated strikes across the country. Mali’s military said late Saturday that efforts to repel the attacks were underway and some militants had already fled.

Fighting was also reported around Kati, home to a major military base outside the capital, as well as in the northern cities of Gao and Kidal, and the central cities of Sevare and Mopti.

Groups Involved

Reports suggest the assault by the separatist Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) — which seeks a breakaway ethnic Tuareg state — was primarily focused on northern cities, while the jihadist group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) staged simultaneous attacks on multiple locations across the country.

FLA spokesman Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane told the BBC: “We had been working on this operation for a long time, in a well-planned manner, and in fact, in alliance with JNIM. It is difficult to find any solution without their participation, and there was coordination.”

JNIM later confirmed in a statement that the attacks were part of a joint operation with the FLA.

Battle Developments

Mali’s military said it was fighting what it described as “terrorist groups,” claiming they had been “routed” with “several hundred” killed. However, the BBC has not been able to independently verify this claim, and there are indications that fighting continues.

An FLA field commander involved in the assault on Kidal told the BBC the group had been preparing for the offensive “for months” and is attempting to block the road between Kidal and Tessalit to prevent army reinforcements. “Our main goal now is to control Gao and then Timbuktu will be easy to fall,” he said.

Emergency Measures

In Bamako, checkpoints have been established on roads leading to the airport, and vehicles are being searched. A curfew has been imposed from 21:00 to 06:00 local time for the next three nights.

Source: BBC News