Mali's army reported that unidentified armed terrorist groups launched a wave of coordinated assaults early Saturday, targeting military positions and barracks in the capital, Bamako, and various locations across the country's interior.
The attacks struck several key northern cities, including Kidal and Gao. In Bamako, residents and journalists reported hearing gunfire at the international airport. Near Kati, the nation's main military base located outside the capital, witnesses reported loud explosions and sustained gunfire, prompting soldiers to deploy and block off roads in the area.
The Azawad Liberation Front, a separatist group that has fought the Malian army for more than a decade, claimed responsibility for the surprise attacks. While the group has been largely confined to northern Mali in recent years, these coordinated strikes have hit multiple locations in the military-ruled state.