Coordinated Attacks by Islamist Militants and Tuareg Rebels Target Military Sites in Multiple Malian Cities

Armed groups including Islamist militants launched coordinated attacks targeting multiple cities across Mali on Saturday, April 25, 2026. Heavy gunfire and explosions were reported around government buildings and major military installations in the capital Bamako and at least three other locations, including Sevare, Kidal, and Gao.

Sustained gunfire and explosions were heard near the main airport in Bamako, leading to the cancellation of incoming and outgoing flights at Modibo Keïta International Airport, which is adjacent to an air base used by Mali's air force.

Similar incidents occurred in Sevare, Kidal, and Gao, with residents reporting gunfire and blasts starting in the early hours. near Mali’s main military base in Kati outside Bamako, where soldiers were deployed to block off roads.

A resident of Kati, home to Mali's main military base, was woken early Saturday morning by sounds of gunfire and explosions. Videos on social media showed militant convoys in trucks and motorcycles moving through deserted streets in Kati.

In northern Mali, gunmen entered Kidal, taking control of some neighborhoods and leading to exchanges of fire with the army, according to a former mayor of Kidal who spoke on condition of anonymity. Videos in Kidal and Gao showed gunfire exchanges in the streets with dead bodies on the ground.

A resident of Gao said gunfire and explosions started in the early hours of Saturday and could still be heard in the late morning from the army camp and airport.

An Associated Press journalist in Bamako heard sustained heavy weapons and automatic rifle gunfire from Modibo Keïta International Airport, around 9 miles from the city center, and saw a helicopter over nearby neighborhoods. A resident near the airport reported gunfire and three helicopters patrolling overhead.

A resident near a military camp close to Bamako’s airport that houses Russian mercenary forces said gunfire could be heard early on Saturday toward the camp.

A UN security note stated there had been simultaneous complex attacks in Kati, near Bamako's airport, and in Mopti, Gao, and Kidal. Two witnesses said a house in Kati was hit and destroyed.

Embassy in Mali urged American citizens to shelter in place and avoid all travel, issuing a security alert about reports of explosions and gunfire near Kati and Modibo Keita International Airport. The Malian government stated that fighting is ongoing but the situation remains under control and security forces are engaged in repelling the attackers.

Mali's army stated that unidentified armed terrorist groups targeted certain locations and barracks in Bamako and soldiers were engaged in eliminating the attackers.

M. local time that the situation was under control but sweeping operations were ongoing. Mali's army said armed terrorist groups launched attacks on military positions nationwide. Russian-backed Africa Corps mercenaries are fighting alongside Malian forces in several locations, including the capital Bamako.

Jihadist militants captured checkpoints and other positions of the Malian Army and Russia’s Africa Corps to the north of Bamako. Videos on social media suggest attacks were carried out by militants linked to Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an Al-Qaeda-affiliated group, along with Tuareg rebels from the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA).

Four security sources told Reuters that Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) was involved and coordinated with the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA).

A spokesperson for the Azawad rebels claimed that fighters have seized control of multiple areas and warned neighboring Sahel countries against intervening. The spokesperson said on Facebook that Azawad forces had taken control of Kidal and some areas in Gao. The spokesperson said on social media that FLA forces had taken control of positions in Gao and one of two military camps in Kidal.

“The force of the explosions is making the doors and windows of my house shake. I'm scared out of my wits," a resident of Gao told the Associated Press by phone, speaking on condition of anonymity.”

“There's gunfire everywhere," a witness in Sevare said. Malian military officers seized power in a coup d'état in August 2020. Malian military leaders took power after coups in 2020 and 2021. The military junta in Mali pledged to improve security after the 2020 coup. Mali broke ties with France and expelled the UN peacekeeping mission MINUSMA, which completed its withdrawal in 2023. Mali's junta turned to Russian-backed mercenaries from the Wagner Group, now known as Africa Corps, to address insecurity. Last year, Mali's capital endured a prolonged fuel blockade following attacks on key supply routes. The Sahel region accounted for more than half of all terrorism-related deaths in 2025 according to the Global Terrorism Index. Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger are led by military juntas that came to power through coups. Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have distanced themselves from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The separatists have been fighting for years to create the state of Azawad in northern Mali. A 2015 peace deal in Mali has collapsed, paving the way for some ex-rebels to be integrated into the Malian military. Reuters reported in March that Mali and the U.S. were nearing a deal to allow Washington to resume flying aircraft and drones over Mali’s airspace for intelligence on jihadist groups. In 2024, an al Qaeda-linked group claimed an attack on Bamako's airport and a military training camp in the capital, killing scores of people.”