JNIM and ALF Forces Launch Coordinated Offensive on Multiple Malian Cities Including Bamako

Jihadists from the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) and pro-independence Tuaregs from the Azawad Liberation Front (ALF) launched a coordinated assault on several Malian cities on April 25, 2026. The offensive targeted locations including Bamako and Kati, where ruling generals reside, as well as Kidal, Gao and Sévaré.

Le Monde reported that the attacks mobilized likely more than 1,000 fighters and required close tactical cooperation between JNIM and ALF.

By evening on April 25, 2026, government forces and their Russian allies had regained control of Bamako. The assaults struck cities hundreds of kilometers apart, marking an unprecedented scale. At dawn that day, hundreds of armed men swept through Kidal and Gao in the north of Mali.

Similar dawn incursions hit Sévaré in the center of the country. In the south, attackers targeted Bamako and Kati, a garrison town less than 20 kilometers from the capital. Kati is home to Camp Soundiata Keïta, the country's main military base.

Camp Soundiata Keïta has served as the center of power since the military ousted civilians in 2021. The offensive on April 25, 2026, shook the government in Bamako, with fighters sweeping through strategic sites. Le Monde described armed men advancing in large numbers, carrying substantial weapons.

On the evening of April 25, 2026, General Assimi Goïta remained out of sight and silent. The attacks began at dawn, catching multiple regions off guard. Government responses focused on reclaiming key areas, including the capital.

The coordinated effort between JNIM jihadists and ALF Tuaregs highlighted tactical alignment across vast distances. Fighters assaulted the Kati military base near Bamako, as captured in images of a Malian soldier during the incident. By nightfall, control over Bamako was restored, though the full extent of the day's events continued to unfold.