Overview
- Mali’s army, which reported coordinated assaults Saturday, said unidentified ‘terrorist groups’ hit barracks and positions in Bamako and other areas, with explosions and heavy gunfire at Kati and near Modibo Keita International Airport.
- Unrest also flared in Gao, Kidal and Sevare, where residents reported blasts, street fighting and military roadblocks, and a helicopter patrol was seen over neighborhoods near the capital’s airport.
- Officials later said parts of the situation were under control and announced sweeping operations, while witnesses in the north still heard exchanges of fire and two people said Defence Minister Sadio Camara’s residence in Kati was damaged, though he was safe.
- No group claimed responsibility, but four security sources pointed to al‑Qaeda affiliate JNIM, and the Tuareg‑led Azawad Liberation Front said it had seized positions in Kidal and Gao, a claim that reporters have not verified.
- Foreign missions urged people to shelter in place and airlines canceled some flights, and a Russian embassy official said the Kremlin‑linked Africa Corps was assisting Malian forces, underscoring how a years‑long insurgency and a pivot from Western partners continue to reshape daily life and risk regional spillover.