Armed groups linked to jihadist factions and Tuareg separatists launched coordinated attacks across several parts of Mali on Saturday, targeting military positions in the north, central regions and a prison complex near the capital, Bamako.
The assaults began around 5:00 a.m. local time and affected the towns of Gao, Anefis, Aguelhok and Sevare, while heavy gunfire was also reported at the Kenieroba prison facility, according to residents, security sources and separatist representatives.
The latest wave of violence comes just over two months after a series of large-scale offensives by insurgent groups that dealt a significant setback to Mali’s ruling military authorities and heightened insecurity across the country.
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Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, spokesperson for the Azawad Liberation Front, confirmed ongoing clashes in the northern town of Anefis.
“Several positions have fallen, but fighting is still underway inside the city,” he said.
Residents in the area reported that armed groups had entered parts of the town, although government troops continued to resist.
“Armed groups are in the town, but the army is still putting up resistance. The camp has not yet fallen,” a resident said.
Anefis and Aguelhok remain among the last strategic locations in the Kidal region where Malian government forces maintain a military presence following the major offensives of April 25 and 26.
Those attacks culminated in the capture of Kidal by FLA fighters, marking one of the most significant territorial losses suffered by the ruling junta.
In Gao, residents reported hearing sustained gunfire and powerful explosions near an army camp.
In Sevare, a key transit and military hub in central Mali, explosions were heard shortly after dawn.
“Explosions rang out around 5:00 a.m., though their origin is not yet known. Shortly thereafter, several aircraft were spotted flying over the area,” a security source said.
The violence also extended to Kenieroba prison, located several kilometres from Bamako, where suspected jihadists and other high-risk detainees are being held.
“We are under our beds, the gunfire continues,” a prisoner said from inside the facility.
Mali has faced insurgencies since 2012, when separatist rebellions in the north evolved into a wider jihadist conflict involving groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.
The latest attacks are expected to intensify concerns over security in the Sahel region as armed groups continue to challenge government control in several parts of Mali.
