Overview
- Explosions and heavy gunfire hit the Kati military base area early Saturday, with troops blocking roads nearby.
- Gunfire came from the Bamako airport area, including near a military camp close to the runways that houses Russian mercenary forces, residents said.
- Helicopters circled over the capital and the international airport as security forces moved to secure key sites.
- Fighting was also reported in Gao, Kidal and Sévéré, spanning the north and center in a pattern seen through Mali’s long insurgency.
- The army said several positions were attacked and urged calm, while no group has broadly claimed responsibility as security sources pointed to JNIM and a Tuareg-aligned FLA spokesman claimed gains in Kidal and Gao.