Militant and Separatist Assaults Target Multiple Locations in Mali
Islamic militants and separatists launched coordinated attacks across Mali on Saturday, targeting the capital Bamako and several other cities. This represents one of the largest such operations in the country in recent years.
The al-Qaida-affiliated group Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM) claimed responsibility for strikes on Bamako's international airport and four other cities in central and northern Mali via its website Azallaq. The group stated that the attacks were conducted jointly with the Azawad Liberation Front, a Tuareg-led separatist organization.
Mali has faced ongoing insurgencies involving al-Qaida and Islamic State affiliates, alongside a separatist rebellion in the northern regions.
Military Response and Situation in Bamako
The Malian army issued a statement confirming that "unidentified armed terrorist groups targeted certain locations and barracks" in Bamako. It added that soldiers were actively engaged in "eliminating the attackers" and later declared that the situation was under control.
An Associated Press journalist in Bamako reported hearing sustained heavy weapons and automatic rifle fire from Modibo Keïta International Airport, located approximately 9 miles (15 km) from the city center. The journalist also observed a helicopter flying over nearby neighborhoods. The airport is adjacent to an airbase utilized by Mali's air force. A local resident near the airport corroborated the gunfire and noted three helicopters patrolling overhead.
The US embassy in Bamako issued a security alert, citing reports of explosions and gunfire near Kati and the international airport. It advised US citizens to shelter in place and avoid travel to those areas.
Events in Kati and Damage to Government Officials' Residences
A resident of Kati, a town near Bamako housing Mali's main military base, reported being awakened by gunfire and explosions. Kati is also the residence of Gen Assimi Goita, leader of Mali's military junta. A shopkeeper near the residence of Mali's defense minister, Sadio Camara, told the AP that the minister's home sustained heavy damage from an explosion during the attacks. The shopkeeper spoke on condition of anonymity due to fear of reprisals.
Social media videos showed militant convoys traveling through Kati's deserted streets on trucks and motorcycles, with residents observing fearfully.
Attacks in Central and Northern Mali
Residents in Sevare and Mopti, towns in central Mali, also reported gunmen attacks. In northern towns Kidal and Gao, videos depicted exchanges of gunfire in the streets and bodies lying on the ground.
Insurgents reportedly entered Kidal, seizing control of some neighborhoods and engaging in firefights with the army, according to a former mayor of the town who spoke to the AP by phone on condition of anonymity for safety reasons.
Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, spokesperson for the Azawad movement, posted on Facebook that their forces had taken control of Kidal and parts of Gao. The Associated Press could not independently verify this claim.
Kidal had been a separatist stronghold before being recaptured by Malian government forces and Russian mercenaries in 2023. Its capture was a significant symbolic victory for the junta and its Russian allies.
The Azawad separatists have long sought to establish an independent state in northern Mali.
A resident of Gao, the largest city in northern Mali, described gunfire and explosions beginning in the early hours of Saturday and continuing into 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 said by phone, requesting anonymity for safety. The gunfire reportedly originated from the army camp and the airport, which are adjacent.
Expert Analysis and Regional Context
Ulf Laessing, head of the Sahel programme at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, characterized the assault as the largest coordinated attack in Mali in years.
"It’s especially concerning that JNIM apparently has been coordinating today’s attacks with Tuareg rebels. Jihadists and Tuareg rebels teamed up in 2012 when they overran northern Mali, sparking the region’s security crisis,"
Laessing stated.
Mali, along with neighboring Niger and Burkina Faso, has been combating armed groups affiliated with al-Qaida and the Islamic State group for years.
Following military coups, the juntas in these countries have shifted from Western allies to seeking assistance from Russia in fighting Islamic militants. However, analysts report that the security situation has deteriorated recently, with a record number of militant attacks. Government forces have also faced accusations of killing civilians suspected of collaborating with militants.
Earlier in 2024, an al-Qaida-linked group claimed responsibility for an attack on Bamako’s airport and a military training camp in the capital, resulting in numerous fatalities.
