Mali hit by coordinated attacks in five locations, including prison near Bamako

Coordinated strikes across the country

Fighting erupted around 5 a.m. local time (05:00 GMT) on Saturday, though one report placed the start at 4 a.m. The attacks targeted the northern towns of Gao, Anéfis and Aguelhok, the central town of Sévaré, and the Kenieroba prison complex roughly 70 kilometres south of the capital, Bamako. Mali's army confirmed the assaults in a brief statement, saying the situation was being followed, without providing further details. The Russian paramilitary group Afrika Corps, an ally of the ruling junta, said its units were cooperating with the Malian army to repel the attacks.

Battle for Anéfis

The Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), a Tuareg-led separatist movement, confirmed its fighters entered Anéfis early Saturday. Spokesperson Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane told AFP that several positions had fallen but fighting was still underway inside the city. A resident contacted by AFP said armed groups were in the town while the army continued to resist, adding that the military camp had not yet fallen. Anéfis and nearby Aguelhok are the last locations where Mali's army maintains a presence in the Kidal region after the FLA and al-Qaeda affiliate JNIM seized the strategic city of Kidal during large-scale attacks on 25 and 26 April.

Several positions have fallen, but fighting is still underway inside the city.

Prison under fire

In Kenieroba, a major penitentiary holding jihadist detainees came under attack. A prisoner reached by telephone told AFP, "We are under our beds, the shooting continues." Heavy weapons fire was reported at the facility as late as 5:30 a.m. The assault on a prison so close to the capital underscores the reach of the insurgent groups.

We are under our beds, the shooting continues.

Aftermath of April's offensive

Saturday's attacks come just over two months after the 25–26 April offensive by JNIM and the FLA that killed Mali's defence minister, struck the airport in Bamako, and allowed rebels to capture a string of army bases in the north. That offensive delivered a severe blow to the military-led government, which has struggled to reassert control over the restive Kidal region.

Junta under pressure

The latest wave of violence piles further pressure on the junta, which has relied on Russian paramilitary support to hold territory. In Gao, gunfire and rockets targeted a military camp from before dawn, while in Sévaré explosions were heard and several aircraft were later spotted overhead. The coordinated nature of the attacks, spanning hundreds of kilometres, signals a persistent insurgent capability to challenge state authority across northern and central Mali.