Mali Military Reports Simultaneous Attacks Across Bamako and Nationwide, Citing Terrorist Groups

Gunmen have launched simultaneous attacks across Mali’s capital Bamako and several locations nationwide, the country’s military said on Saturday morning.

The Malian army stated it was fighting “terrorist groups” that had attacked army barracks in Bamako and other areas in the military-ruled nation.

Two loud explosions and sustained gunfire were heard shortly before 6 a.m. Local time near Mali’s main military base, Kati, outside Bamako, which is the home of military ruler General Assimi Goita.

Similar unrest was reported at about the same time in the central town of Sevare, the town of Kidal and the city of Gao in northern Mali.

A witness told Reuters news agency that “there’s gunfire everywhere.”

An Associated Press journalist in Bamako reported the use of heavy weaponry and automatic rifle gunfire near Modibo Keita International Airport, located about 15 kilometers from the city center.

A helicopter was observed patrolling nearby neighborhoods following the initial attacks.

According to military sources cited by Al Jazeera’s Nicolas Haque, the fighters involved in the coordinated attack are targeting military armed compounds.

Haque added that the scale and coordination of the attacks “appear to be unprecedented” and noted “there is an unprecedented level of panic” in the military ranks.

Mali, rich in gold and other valuable minerals, has been dealing with more than a decade of armed unrest, including attacks by West Africa affiliates of al-Qaeda and ISIL (ISIS), as well as a longer history of Tuareg-led rebellion in the north.