Gunmen attacked Mali’s capital Bamako and multiple locations across the country in what the military described as a coordinated assault involving multiple armed groups.
The army reported fighting “terrorist groups” that struck army barracks in Bamako and other areas shortly before 6am local time on Saturday, with two loud explosions and sustained gunfire heard near the main military base at Kati, outside the capital.
Similar unrest occurred simultaneously in the central town of Sevare, the northern town of Kidal, and the city of Gao, according to military sources cited by Al Jazeera’s Nicolas Haque, who noted the scale and coordination appeared unprecedented.
An Associated Press journalist in Bamako reported heavy weaponry and automatic rifle fire near Modibo Keita International Airport, located about 15km (9 miles) from the city centre, while a helicopter patrolled nearby neighbourhoods.
A witness told Reuters there was “gunfire everywhere,” underscoring the widespread nature of the attacks that targeted military installations across the country.
Mali has faced over a decade of armed unrest, including attacks by West African affiliates of al-Qaeda and ISIL, as well as a long-standing Tuareg-led rebellion in the north.
Following two military coups in 2020 and 2021, the junta cut ties with France, expelled French forces and UN peacekeeping missions, and turned to Russian mercenaries for security support.
In July last year, military authorities granted coup leader Assimi Goita a five-year presidential mandate renewable without election, a month after Russia’s Wagner Group announced it would complete its mission in Mali; the group has since been rebranded as the Africa Corps under direct Russian Ministry of Defence control.
Alongside Burkina Faso and Niger — too governed by military juntas backed by Russian mercenaries — Mali formed the Alliance of Sahel States in 2023, creating a joint military battalion to combat armed groups across the region.
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The bloc, which recently exited the West African economic union Ecowas, aims to share resources, build infrastructure, establish a common market and currency, and allow free movement of people, with long-term goals of deeper integration.
The attacks arrive amid heightened tensions in the Sahel, where jihadist insurgencies have persisted despite years of international and regional military interventions, and where local populations have suffered from displacement, food insecurity, and limited state presence.
Military sources told Al Jazeera that fighters were specifically targeting military armed compounds, contributing to what Haque described as an “unprecedented level of panic” within Mali’s armed forces.
The use of heavy weaponry near the airport and coordinated strikes in geographically dispersed locations suggest a level of planning and capability beyond typical hit-and-run tactics employed by insurgent groups in the region.
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While the army has not disclosed casualty figures or identified the specific groups behind the assault, the timing and spread of the attacks raise questions about the effectiveness of current security arrangements, including the reliance on external mercenary forces.
The formation of the Alliance of Sahel States was intended to strengthen collective defence, but the simultaneity of attacks across member states’ territories may test the bloc’s operational coherence and joint response mechanisms.
Observers note that the junta’s rejection of Ecowas and Western partners has left Mali with fewer diplomatic options, increasing pressure on the Alliance to deliver tangible security outcomes amid ongoing violence.
Who is believed to be behind the attacks in Mali?
The Malian army has described the perpetrators as “terrorist groups” but has not publicly identified which specific armed factions carried out the coordinated assault.
How does this attack relate to Mali’s recent security partnerships?
The assault occurred despite Mali’s reliance on Russian-backed forces, including the Africa Corps, raising questions about the effectiveness of current security arrangements in the face of widespread, simultaneous insurgent action.
