Insurgents launch early morning attacks across Mali
Insurgents in Mali staged attacks in five locations early on Saturday, including a northern town where government and Russian fighters are based and a town south of the capital Bamako, the latest threat to the landlocked Sahel nation’s embattled leaders, reports BritPanorama.
The assault targeted army positions in cities and towns including Anefis, Aguelhoc, and Gao in northern Mali, Sevare in central Mali, and Kenioroba in the south, the Malian armed forces said in a statement.
Soldiers repelled the attacks, asserting that the situation was “totally under control.” The statement added that 20 “terrorists” had been killed in Sevare and six in Gao.
One pro-government fighter was killed in Gao, with four others injured, as confirmed by military sources.
A spokesperson for a Tuareg-led rebel group, the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), indicated involvement in Saturday’s attacks. This group partnered with the regional al Qaeda affiliate, Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), in a coordinated operation in April that targeted the airport in Bamako, resulting in the death of the defence minister.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility from JNIM.
The FLA’s spokesperson, Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, stated that the group’s fighters had entered Anefis, in the northeastern Kidal region. Both government and Russian troops were deployed to this area following the April attacks after being previously driven from the strategic town of Kidal.
Reuters could not independently verify the claim.
In Gao, a local official noted that gunfire and rocket attacks aimed at a military camp had persisted since before dawn, though it remained unclear who was responsible for the assault.
“No one could go out this morning… the Malian Armed Forces have blocked all the streets. We’re in our homes,” a Gao resident reported, adding that “the noise was so intense it felt like the roof was going to collapse.”
In Sevare, another resident described early morning gunfire followed by four large explosions in the west of the city around 8 a.m. local time, with even heavier detonations heard around 10 a.m.
These sources spoke on condition of anonymity for safety reasons. Kenioroba is home to a prison housing members of Mali’s political opposition; a diplomatic source and a security source indicated that this prison had been attacked, although security forces reportedly managed to repel the assailants.
A government spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The attacks underscore the ongoing failure of Mali’s military leaders, who seized power in coups in 2020 and 2021, to deliver the improved security they had pledged.
In September 2024, JNIM attacked a paramilitary police training school near Bamako airport, killing about 70 individuals. More recently, the group carried out a fuel blockade that deprived the capital’s residents and businesses of power and supplies.
Mali’s government has been pursuing closer ties with Washington, aiming to rebuild cooperation on security matters and explore mining opportunities.
Russia, whose Africa Corps forces are backing the government, pledged to stand by Mali following the attacks in April.
Jihadist violence has similarly disrupted neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger, which, like Mali, have turned to Russia for security assistance.
