Militants Strike Mali Capital As Army Fights Broad Offensive

(MENAFN- Live Mint) (Bloomberg) -- Mali's army said on Saturday it was battling coordinated armed attacks on military barracks in Bamako and several locations across the country, indicating a broader, multi-city offensive.

A Russian embassy official said Africa Corps, the Kremlin-controlled successor to Wagner's Africa operations, was supporting Malian forces fighting militants outside the capital.

“Our defense and security forces are engaged in neutralizing the assailants,” the army chief of staff said in a Facebook post, later confirming on FAMa TV that militants had struck Bamako and the nearby town of Kati, the junta's stronghold about 15 kilometers (9 miles) west of the capital.

The US and the African Union in separate posts on X condemned the“terrorist attacks” targeting the capital, as well as other urban centers across the country, underscoring the nationwide scope of the assault.

Residents reported smoke and explosions near Bamako's airport around 7:30 a.m. local time, while witnesses in multiple areas said gunfire continued and civilians remained indoors amid ongoing insecurity.

Ethiopian Airlines and regional carrier Air Burkina canceled their flights to Mali on Saturday, according to emails sent to passengers seen by Bloomberg.

The rebel Azawad Liberation Front separately claimed control of the northern city of Kidal, though an army spokesman couldn't be reached for comment on this.

The assault comes as jihadist pressure on Bamako intensifies, with fuel disruptions and repeated convoy attacks destabilizing the capital in recent months, alongside renewed US diplomatic engagement with Mali.

One al-Qaeda-linked group, Jama'a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin, has been expanding its influence, raising fears of broader escalation after a decade-long insurgency.

The violence unfolds as Mali, a major gold producer and emerging lithium player, becomes increasingly strategically important, with Chinese-backed mining projects such as Goulamina.

The security crisis persists despite Russian-linked forces replacing French troops, reflecting a fragile environment as global powers including the US, China, and Russia compete for influence.

--With assistance from Diakaridia Dembele.

(Updates with US, AU reaction, suspended flights to Bamako.)

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