Bamako, Mali (Running Africa) — Coordinated attacks by insurgent groups struck multiple military positions across Mali on Saturday, escalating the country’s long-running security crisis and underscoring the persistent threat posed by Islamist militants and separatist armed groups in the Sahel.
The assaults targeted strategic locations in the north, centre and south of the country, including Anefis, Aguelhoc, Gao, Sevare and Kenioroba, in one of the most widespread waves of violence reported in recent months.
The Malian Armed Forces said they successfully repelled the attacks, killing 26 insurgents and regaining full control of the affected military positions. However, armed groups involved in the operation disputed the military’s account, claiming they inflicted significant damage during the coordinated offensive.
Responsibility for the attacks was claimed separately by the Tuareg-led Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) and the al-Qaeda-linked Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), highlighting the complex web of armed factions operating across Mali.
Residents in Gao and Sevare reported intense exchanges of gunfire, rocket attacks and powerful explosions as fighting unfolded around military installations. In Kenioroba, insurgents also targeted a prison known for housing several political opposition figures, raising concerns over the widening scope of the attacks.
Among the locations hit was Anefis, a strategically important town in northern Mali where Malian forces are stationed alongside Russian-backed military personnel as part of ongoing counterinsurgency operations.
Mali has been battling Islamist insurgencies and separatist rebellions since 2012, with violence spreading across much of the Sahel despite successive military coups in 2020 and 2021 that pledged to restore security and stabilize the country.
The latest coordinated attacks underscore the continuing instability in Mali and reflect the broader security challenges facing neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger, where jihadist groups continue to launch deadly attacks despite expanded military cooperation with Russian forces.
The renewed violence is expected to heighten concerns over regional security as governments across the central Sahel continue to struggle to contain insurgent movements and protect civilian populations.
