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Impact Zones of Recent Attacks
Regions experiencing the highest intensity of militant activity during the latest offensive.
Primary Sources
Gunfire and blasts rock Mali as attackers hit capital and other cities ...
DAKAR, Senegal -- Islamic militants and separatists attacked several locations in Mali's capital and other cities on Saturday in one of the largest coordinated attacks in the country in recent years.The al-Qaida-linked militant group JNIM claimed responsibility for the attacks on Bamako's international airport and four other cities in central and northern Mali on its website Azallaq. It said the attacks were carried out jointly with the Azawad Liberation Front, a Tuareg-led separatist group.Mali has previously faced insurgencies fought by affiliates of al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, as well as a separatist rebellion in the north.The Malian army said in a statement that “unidentified armed terrorist groups targeted certain locations and barracks” in Bamako and that soldiers were “engaged in eliminating the attackers.” It said in another statement later the situation was under control.An Associated Press journalist in Bamako heard sustained heavy weapons and automatic rifle gunfire coming from Modibo Keïta International Airport, around 15 kilometers (9 miles) from the city center, and saw a helicopter over nearby neighborhoods. The airport is adjacent to an air base used by Mali's air force. A resident living near the airport also reported gunfire and three helicopters patrolling overhead. The U.S. Embassy in Bamako issued a security alert citing reports of explosions and gunfire near Kati and the international airport, and urged U.S. citizens to shelter in place and avoid travel there.A resident of Kati, a town near Bamako that is home to Mali’s main military base, said he was woken by the sound of gunfire and explosions. Gen. Assimi Goita, the leader of Mali’s military junta, resides in Kati. The residence of Mali’s defense minister, Sadio Camara, was heavily damaged by an explosion during the attack, a nearby shopkeeper told the AP, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.Videos on social media showed militant convoys in trucks and motorcycles moving through Kati's deserted streets, while residents looked on fearfully. Residents of Sevare and Mopti, two towns in central Mali, also reported attacks by gunmen.Other videos in the northern towns of Kidal and Gao showed gunfire exchanges in the streets, with dead bodies lying on the ground.Insurgents entered Kidal, taking control of some neighborhoods and leading to exchanges of fire with the army, a former mayor of the town told the AP by phone, speaking on condition of anonymity out o...
Mali rattled by ongoing armed attacks: What to know
Mali has been rattled by coordinated attacks carried out by several unidentified armed groups beginning on Saturday, escalating the political and security crisis in the country, which has been under military rule for most of the past 14 years.On Sunday, a military source told Al Jazeera that Mali’s Defence Minister Sadio Camara had been killed amid coordinated attacks on military sites across the country, including the capital, Bamako. His residence in Kati was attacked on Saturday.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3West African regional army: Why thousands of soldiers are deployinglist 2 of 3‘Forget democracy’ says Burkina Faso’s military leader Ibrahim Traorelist 3 of 3Benin’s Wadagni wins presidential election with landslide 94% of votesend of list“The General Staff of the Armed Forces informs the public that unidentified armed terrorist groups targeted certain locations and barracks in the capital and the interior early this morning, April 25, 2026. Fighting is ongoing,” Mali’s military said in a statement on Saturday.Al-Qaeda-linked group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) has claimed responsibility for attacks in Kati, near the capital, as well as the Bamako airport and other locations further north, including Mopti, Sevare and Gao. Tuareg rebels also claimed participation in the latest assaults.The current military ruler, Assimi Goita, came to power in the 2021 coup on the promise to boost security amid the growing influence of armed groups in one of the most impoverished nations in the world. Goita has yet to make a public statement.So, what is the latest situation in the country and have the armed attacks been contained?Here’s what we know:What happened?On Saturday morning, Mali’s army said unidentified “terrorist” groups had attacked several military positions in Bamako and the country’s interior.Two loud explosions and sustained gunfire were heard shortly before 6am (06:00 GMT) near Mali’s main military base, Kati, just north of the capital. Soldiers were deployed to block roads, witnesses said.There was similar unrest at around the same time in the central town of Sevare, and Kidal and Gao in the north.Gunfire could be heard near a military camp close to the Bamako airport, where Russian mercenary forces are based, a resident told the Reuters news agency.Heavy gunfire was also reported in Kati, where Goita also has his residence, witnesses told the AFP news agency.AFP reported that Kati residents uploaded images on soc...
Mali reeling after coordinated attacks hit multiple cities
Gunfire and explosions rocked Mali's capital and other key cities in one of the most significant coordinated attacks in years, as armed groups exploited worsening insecurity in the Sahel region.
Mali: Guterres calls for international solutions to curb spread of ...
There are reports of continuing clashes in Mali on Sunday, a day after a series of coordinated attacks across the landlocked African nation against Government forces by extremists and northern separatist rebels.
