Gunfire, blasts rock Mali's Bamako and other cities, army says unidentified terrorist groups targeted locations

Gunmen launched attacks on several locations in Mali's capital, Bamako, and other cities early Saturday in a possible coordinated assault, AP reported, citing residents and authorities.

Mali’s army, in a statement, said, “unidentified armed terrorist groups targeted certain locations and barracks in the capital.” It added that soldiers were “currently engaged in eliminating the attackers.”

The West African country has been marred by insurgencies fought by affiliates of al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, as well as a separatist rebellion in the north. An Associated Press journalist in Bamako reported sustained heavy weapons fire and automatic gunfire coming from Modibo Keïta International Airport, located about 15 kilometers (9 miles) from the city center, and observed a helicopter flying 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 hearing gunfire and seeing three helicopters patrolling overhead.

Separately, residents in other Malian cities also reported gunfire and blasts on Saturday morning, a move that reportedly suggests a possible coordinated attack by armed groups.

Here's what happened

In the northeastern city of Kidai, gunmen entered and took control of some neighbourhoods, which led to exchanges of gunfire with the army, a former Kidai mayor told AP.

The Azawad separatist movement has been fighting for years to create the state of Azawad in northern Mali. It once drove security forces from the region before a 2015 peace deal, which has since collapsed and paved the way for some ex-rebels to be integrated into the Malian military.

Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, a spokesperson for the Azawad Liberation Front, in a Facebook post, said its forces had taken control of several areas in Kidal and Gao, another northeastern city. However, his claim could not be verified.

Citing a resident of Gao, AP reported that gunfire and explosions began in the early hours of Saturday and were heard until late morning. Describing the scene, a resident noted, "The force of the explosions is making the doors and windows of my house shake. I’m scared out of my wits." Several residents also reported that gunfire came from the army camp and the airport, which are adjacent to each other.

Previous attacks in Mali

In 2024, an al-Qaida-linked group claimed an attack on Bamako’s airport and a military training camp in the capital, killing scores of people.

In November 2025, armed men in Mali killed a TikTok influencer who posted videos in support of the West African nation's military. Yehia Tandina, the mayor of Timbuktu, had told AP then, "The young TikTok user Mariame Cissé was abducted by armed men on Friday while she was at the weekly market in Echel ... The following day, at dusk, the same men brought her back to Independence Square in Tonka and executed her in front of a crowd."

Rising militancy in the region

Mali, along with neighbours Burkina Faso and Niger, has long been battling armed groups linked with al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, a conflict that has escalated over the last decade.

After military coups, the ruling juntas in the three countries shifted away from Western allies and turned to Russia for help fighting Islamic militants.

However, analysts say the security situation in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso has worsened in recent years, with a record number of militant attacks. Government forces have also been accused of killing civilians suspected of collaborating with militants.

(With AP inputs)