Gunfire And Blasts Across Mali As Simultaneous Attacks Target Several Cities

DAKAR, Senegal — Gunmen attacked respective locations successful Mali’s superior and different cities connected Saturday successful an apparently coordinated assault, residents and authorities said.

Mali’s service said successful a connection that “unidentified equipped violent groups targeted definite locations and barracks” successful Bamako and that soldiers were “engaged successful eliminating nan attackers.” It said successful different connection later nan business was nether control.

An Associated Press journalist successful Bamako heard sustained dense weapons and automatic firearm gunfire coming from Modibo Keita International Airport, astir 9 miles from nan metropolis center, and saw a chopper complete adjacent neighborhoods. The airdrome is adjacent to an aerial guidelines utilized by Mali’s aerial force. A resident surviving adjacent nan airdrome besides reported gunfire and 3 helicopters operating overhead.

The U.S. Embassy successful Bamako issued a information alert citing reports of explosions and gunfire adjacent Kati and nan world airport, and urged U.S. citizens to shelter successful spot and debar recreation there.

Mali has been plagued by insurgencies fought by affiliates of Al Qaeda and nan Islamic State militant group, arsenic good arsenic a separatist rebellion successful nan north.

Residents successful different cities successful cardinal and bluish Mali reported gunfire and blasts connected Saturday morning.

A resident of Kati, a municipality adjacent Bamako that is location to Mali’s main subject base, said he was awoken by nan sound of gunfire and explosions. Gen. Assimi Goita, nan leader of Mali’s subject junta, resides successful Kati.

Videos connected societal media showed militant convoys successful trucks and motorcycles moving done nan town’s deserted streets, while residents looked connected fearfully.

Residents of Sevare and Mopti, towns successful cardinal Mali, besides reported attacks by gunmen.

Other videos successful nan bluish towns of Kidal and Gao showed gunfire exchanges successful nan streets, pinch dormant bodies lying connected nan ground.

Gunmen entered Kidal, taking power of immoderate neighborhoods and starring to exchanges of occurrence pinch nan army, a erstwhile politician of nan municipality told nan AP by phone, speaking connected information of anonymity retired of fearfulness for his safety.

Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, a spokesperson for nan Tuareg-led Azawad separatist movement, said successful a station connected Facebook that its forces had taken power of Kidal and immoderate areas successful Gao, different northeastern city. The AP could not independently verify his claim.

Kidal had agelong served arsenic a stronghold of nan separatist rebellion earlier being taken by Malian authorities forces and Russian mercenaries successful 2023. Its seizure marked a important symbolic triumph for nan junta and its Russian allies.

The Tuareg-led separatists person been fighting for years to create an independent authorities successful bluish Mali.

A resident of Gao, nan largest metropolis successful bluish Mali, said gunfire and explosions started successful nan early hours of Saturday and could still beryllium heard successful nan precocious morning.

“The unit of nan explosions is making nan doors and windows of my location shake. I’m frightened retired of my wits,” nan resident told AP by phone. He said connected information of anonymity because of concerns for his safety. He said nan gunfire came from nan service campy and nan adjacent airport.

Ulf Laessing, caput of nan Sahel programme astatine nan Konrad Adenauer Foundation, said nan battle seems to beryllium nan largest coordinated onslaught successful years successful Mali. It appeared to see Azawad rebels arsenic good arsenic members of nan Al Qaeda-affiliated group Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin, aliases JNIM, he said.

“It’s particularly concerning that JNIM apparently has been coordinating today’s attacks pinch Tuareg rebels. Jihadists and Tuareg rebels teamed up successful 2012 erstwhile they overran bluish Mali, sparking nan region’s information crisis.” Laessing said.

Mali, alongside neighboring Niger and Burkina Faso, has agelong been battling equipped groups affiliated pinch Al Qaeda and Islamic State.

Following subject coups, nan juntas successful nan 3 countries person turned from Western friends to Russia for thief combating Islamic militants. But nan information business has worsened successful caller times, analysts say, pinch a grounds number of attacks by militants. Government forces person besides been accused of sidesplitting civilians they fishy of collaborating pinch militants.

In 2024, an Al Qaeda-linked group claimed an onslaught connected Bamako’s airdrome and a subject training campy successful nan capital, sidesplitting scores of people.

Banchereau writes for nan Associated Press.