Gunmen launched attacks on several locations in the Mali capital Bamako and other cities early Saturday in a possible coordinated attack, AP reported, citing residents and authorities.
The Malian military said in a statement that “unidentified armed terrorist groups attacked certain locations and barracks in the capital.” It added that troops were “currently engaged in the elimination of the attackers”.
The West African country has been marked by insurgencies fought by al-Qaeda and Islamic State affiliates, as well as a separatist insurgency in the north. An Associated Press reporter in Bamako reported sustained heavy weapons fire and automatic gunfire from Modibo Keïta International Airport, located about 15 kilometers (9 mi) from the city center, and observed a helicopter flying over nearby neighborhoods. The airport is adjacent to an air base used by the Mali Air Force. A resident living near the airport also reported hearing gunfire and seeing three helicopters patrolling overhead.
Separately, residents of other Mali towns also reported gunfire and explosions on Saturday morning, a move said to indicate a possible coordinated attack by armed groups.
In the northeastern city of Kidai, gunmen entered and took control of some neighborhoods, leading to gunfights with the military, the former mayor of Kidai told the AP.
The Azawad separatist movement has been fighting for the creation of the Azawad state in northern Mali for years. They once drove security forces out of the region ahead of a 2015 peace deal that has since collapsed, paving the way for the integration of some former rebels into the Malian army.
Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, a spokesman for the Azawad Liberation Front, said on Facebook that its forces had taken control of several areas in Kidal and in Gao, another northeastern city. However, his claim could not be verified.
This is a developing story. Further details were awaited.
