Insurgents in Mali staged coordinated attacks on Saturday targeting five locations across the country, including a northern town housing government and Russian fighters and a southern town near the capital, Bamako. The assaults, which struck army positions in Anefis, Aguelhoc, Gao, Sevare, and Kenioroba, represent the latest threat to the landlocked Sahel nation’s embattled leadership.
Military response and casualties
The Malian armed forces said in a statement that soldiers repelled the attacks and the situation was “totally under control.” The statement added that 20 terrorists were killed in Sevare and six in Gao. One pro-government fighter was killed in Gao, and four others were injured.
A local official in Gao reported gunfire and rocket attacks targeting a military camp that continued since before dawn, though the responsible party was not immediately clear. “No one could go out this morning, the Malian Armed Forces have blocked all the streets. We’re in our homes. The noise was so intense it felt like the roof was going to collapse,” a Gao resident said on condition of anonymity.
Rebel group involvement
A spokesperson for the Tuareg-led rebel group Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, said the group was involved in Saturday’s attacks. The FLA partnered with the regional al-Qaeda affiliate Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM) in April for a high-profile operation that hit Bamako’s airport and killed the defence minister. There was no immediate claim of responsibility from JNIM for Saturday’s attacks.
Ramadane stated that FLA fighters had entered Anefis in the northeastern Kidal region, where government and Russian troops were deployed after the April attacks. Reuters could not independently verify the claim.
Attacks in Sevare and Kenioroba
In Sevare, a resident told Reuters that early morning gunfire was followed by four large explosions in the west of the city at around 8 a.m., with even heavier detonations heard at around 10 a.m. The sources spoke on condition of anonymity for safety reasons.
Kenioroba is home to a prison holding members of Mali’s political opposition. A diplomatic source and a security source said the prison was attacked, though one said security forces repelled the assailants. A government spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Failure of military leaders
The attacks highlight the failure of Mali’s military leaders, who seized power in coups in 2020 and 2021, to deliver the improved security they promised. In September 2024, JNIM attacked a paramilitary police training school near the Bamako airport, killing about 70 people. More recently, it carried out a fuel blockade that has starved the capital’s residents and businesses of power and supplies.
International ties and regional context
Mali’s government has recently pursued closer ties with Washington, which has sought to rebuild security cooperation and explore mining opportunities. Russia, whose Africa Corps forces are backing the government, vowed to stand by Mali after the April attacks. Jihadist violence has also rocked neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger, which, like Mali, have turned to Russia for security assistance.
