West Africa's Al Qaeda affiliate, Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), has claimed responsibility for a series of attacks on military positions in Mali on Saturday (4 July) and said it had seized control of at least five of them.
The Malian armed forces said the attacks struck Anefis, Aguelhoc and Gao in the north, Sevare in central Mali and Kenioroba south of the capital, Bamako. The army said it had repelled the assaults and that the situation was "totally under control".
The Tuareg-led Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) confirmed it had taken part in the attacks. Later, Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), al Qaeda's affiliate in the Sahel, also claimed responsibility, saying it had seized several military positions.
That claim could not be independently verified.
Residents in Gao and Sevare reported heavy gunfire, rocket fire and powerful explosions throughout the morning.
"No one could go out this morning... the Malian Armed Forces have blocked all the streets. We're in our homes," one resident in Gao told Reuters. "The noise was so intense it felt like the roof was going to collapse."
In Kenioroba, diplomatic and security sources said a prison holding members of Mali's political opposition also came under attack, although one source said security forces repelled the assailants.
The latest violence comes three months after the FLA and JNIM carried out a joint attack on Bamako's airport that killed Mali's defence minister.
The attacks are another setback for Mali's military leaders, who seized power in 2020 and 2021 after promising to restore security.
Despite support from Russia's Africa Corps, armed groups continue to stage large-scale attacks across the country, while neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger face similar insurgent threats.
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