BAMAKO – Insurgents launched coordinated attacks across at least five locations in Mali on Saturday, targeting military positions in the north, center, and south of the country in one of the most significant security incidents in recent months.
The attacks reportedly struck Anefis, Aguelhoc, and Gao in northern Mali, Sévaré in the central Mopti region, and Kenioroba south of the capital, Bamako. Several of the targeted locations host Malian government forces and personnel linked to Russia’s Africa Corps.
According to reports from the ground, fighting erupted before dawn, with residents describing heavy gunfire, rocket attacks, and explosions. In Gao, witnesses said military authorities sealed roads as clashes continued, while residents remained indoors amid the violence. In Sévaré, multiple explosions were reported following exchanges of gunfire.
Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, a spokesperson for the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), said rebel fighters entered Anefis, a strategic northern town where government and Russian forces had recently redeployed following earlier setbacks in the region. Reports circulating locally indicated that several Malian soldiers were captured during the fighting, although official confirmation was not immediately available.
The Malian Armed Forces later stated that the situation was “under control,” claiming security forces had repelled the attacks and killed more than 20 attackers in Sévaré and six in Gao. However, rebel groups maintained that clashes continued in several areas after the military’s announcement.
The latest violence highlights the continuing security challenges facing Mali’s military-led government, which has struggled to contain insurgent activity despite intensified operations and growing security cooperation with Russia.
The attacks come amid heightened tensions across the Sahel region, where armed groups linked to jihadist networks and separatist movements continue to challenge state authority in vast rural areas.
Independent verification of battlefield claims from either side remains difficult, and casualty figures provided by the military and insurgent groups could not be immediately confirmed.
Analysts say the coordinated nature of the attacks demonstrates the ability of armed groups to strike multiple targets simultaneously, raising fresh questions about security conditions in a country that has experienced years of conflict and political instability.
