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DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Gunmen attacked respective locations successful Mali's superior and different cities aboriginal Saturday successful a imaginable coordinated assault, residents and authorities said.
Mali’s service said successful a connection that “unidentified equipped violent groups targeted definite locations and barracks successful the capital.” It added that soldiers were “currently engaged successful eliminating the attackers.”
Mali has been plagued by insurgencies fought by affiliates of al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, arsenic good arsenic a separatist rebellion successful the north.
An Associated Press writer successful Bamako heard sustained dense weapons and automatic firearm gunfire coming from Modibo Keïta International Airport, astir 15 kilometers (9 miles) from the metropolis center, and saw a chopper implicit adjacent neighborhoods. The airdrome is adjacent to an aerial basal utilized by Mali's aerial force. A nonmigratory surviving adjacent the airdrome besides reported gunfire and 3 helicopters patrolling overhead.
Residents successful different cities successful Mali reported gunfire and blasts connected Saturday morning, suggesting a imaginable coordinated onslaught by equipped groups.
Gunmen entered the northeastern metropolis of Kidal, taking power of immoderate neighborhoods and starring to gunfire exchanges with the army, a erstwhile politician of Kidal told AP implicit the phone. He spoke connected information of anonymity retired of fearfulness for his safety.
The Azawad separatist question has been warring for years to make the authorities of Azawad successful bluish Mali. They erstwhile drove information forces from the region, earlier a 2015 bid woody that has since collapsed paved the mode for immoderate ex-rebels to beryllium integrated into the Malian military.
Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, a spokesperson for the Azawad Liberation Front, said connected Facebook its forces had taken power of respective areas of Kidal and Gao, different northeastern city. The AP could not independently verify his claim.
A nonmigratory of Gao said gunfire and explosions started successful the aboriginal hours of Saturday and could inactive beryllium heard successful the precocious morning.
“The unit of the explosions is making the doors and windows of my location shake. I’m frightened retired of my wits,” the nonmigratory told AP by phone. He spoke connected information of anonymity due to the fact that of concerns for his safety. The nonmigratory said the gunfire came from the service campy and the airport, which are close adjacent to each other.
A nonmigratory of Kati, a municipality adjacent Bamako that is location to Mali's main subject base, besides said helium was woken up aboriginal successful the greeting by the sounds of gunfire and explosions. Gen. Assimi Goita, the person of Mali’s subject junta, resides successful Kati.
The U.S. Embassy successful Bamako issued a information alert, saying “there person been reports of explosions and gunfire adjacent Kati and the Modibo Keita International Airport successful Bamako” and that “U.S. citizens should structure successful spot and debar question to these destinations until further accusation becomes available.”
In 2024, an al-Qaida-linked radical claimed an onslaught connected Bamako's airdrome and a subject grooming campy successful the capital, sidesplitting scores of people.
Mali, alongside neighboring Niger and Burkina Faso, has agelong been battling equipped groups affiliated with al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, a combat that has escalated implicit the past decade.
Following subject coups, the juntas successful the 3 countries person turned from Western allies to Russia for assistance combating Islamic militants.
But the information concern successful Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso has worsened successful caller times, analysts say, with a grounds fig of attacks by militants. Government forces person besides been accused of sidesplitting civilians they fishy of collaborating with militants.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This worldly whitethorn not beryllium published, broadcast, rewritten oregon redistributed without permission.
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