Militants, separatists claim sweeping attacks across Mali
- Last updated: April 26, 2026 | 10:45
Militants and separatists said they attacked several locations in Mali 's capital, Bamako, and other cities on Saturday in one of the largest coordinated attacks in the West African country in recent years. The government gave no death toll but said that 16 people were wounded in the attacks.
Mali has previously faced insurgencies fought by militants affiliated with Al Qaeda and the Daesh group, as well as a separatist rebellion in the country's north.
Most of the details of the unfolding attacks on Saturday came from local residents, who spoke to the media over the phone.
The Al Qaeda-linked militant group JNIM claimed responsibility for the attacks on Bamako's international airport and four other cities in central and northern Mali. The claim, posted on its website Azallaq, said the attacks were carried out jointly with the Azawad Liberation Front, a Tuareg-led separatist group.
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.”
Another statement later said the situation was under control.
An Associated Press journalist in Bamako heard sustained heavy and automatic weapons gunfire from the direction of Modibo Keïta International Airport, around 15 kilometres (9 miles) from the city center. A helicopter flew over nearby neighbourhoods. 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 overhead.
The US Embassy in Bamako issued a security alert citing reports of explosions and gunfire near Kati and the international airport, and urged US citizens to shelter in place and avoid travel there.
Mali’s government spokesperson Gen. Issa Ousmane Coulibaly, said on state television late Saturday that 16 people were wounded, including civilians and military personnel, and that several militants were killed. He did not provide a death toll.
The governor of Bamako's district, Abdoulaye Coulibaly, announced a three-day overnight curfew, from 9pm to 6am.
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 the media.
The residents spoke 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.
Associated Press