Mali’s army said on Saturday it was battling armed fighters who attacked their barracks in Bamako and other parts of the country.
A Russian embassy official said Africa Corps, the Kremlin-controlled successor to mercenary group Wagner’s Africa operations, was supporting Malian forces fighting back militants outside the capital.
“Our defense and security forces are engaged in neutralizing the assailants,” the army chief of staff said in a Facebook post, later saying on the army channel FAMa TV that militants had attacked Bamako, the nearby town of Kati and “other cities.”
Residents reported smoke and explosions near Bamako’s airport around 7:30 a.m. local time.
The rebel Azawad Liberation Front separately claimed an army helicopter was shot down in the northern city of Kidal. An army spokesman couldn’t be reached for comment on this.
The assault comes as jihadist pressure on Bamako intensifies, with fuel disruptions and repeated attacks on military convoys destabilizing the capital in recent months. It also coincides with renewed US diplomatic engagement with Mali.
One al-Qaeda-linked group, Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin, has been tightening its grip on the capital, raising fears of a broader escalation after a decade-long insurgency.
The violence unfolds as Mali — one of Africa’s top gold producers — emerges as a key lithium player, with Chinese-backed projects including the Goulamina mine underscoring its growing strategic importance in the industry.
The security challenges persist despite support from Russian-linked forces that replaced French troops, highlighting the fragile backdrop as global powers including the US, China and Russia vie for influence.
With assistance from Diakaridia Dembele.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
