The Malian military government has reported that it thwarted a “terrorist” attack in the capital, adding the situation is “under control”.
The army said on Tuesday that it was conducting a security sweep after fighting off gunmen who attacked a military police centre in Bamako. Mali’s military government has been fighting rebel groups since overseeing a coup in 2021.
The military facility, located in the Feladie district on the southeastern outskirts of the capital near the main airport, came under attack early on Tuesday morning. Witnesses reported gunshots and explosions.
“Early this morning, a group of terrorists attempted to infiltrate the Faladie [Feladie] gendarmerie school. Mopping-up operations are currently under way throughout the area,” the army said in a statement.
Volleys of gunfire interspersed with explosions began at around 5:00 am and black smoke could be seen rising from an area near the airport. “Bamako airport is temporarily closed due to events,” an airport official said without saying how long the closure would last.
The military called on residents to avoid the area and await further official reports.
Bamako’s Modibo Keita international airport was temporarily shut down due to the unrest, an airport official told the AFP news agency.
The French high school Liberté announced it would remain closed “due to external events” and staff at the United Nations mission in Mali received a message urging them to “limit (their) movements until further notice.”
Mali has been ruled by a military junta since back-to-back coups in 2020 and 2021. A number of armed rebel groups are active in the West African country – including separatists and jihadists linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group – but until now the capital has been spared.
After the Malian coup, military juntas also seized power in neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger. Under junta leader Colonel Assimi Goita, Mali broke a long-standing alliance with European partners and former colonial power France, turning instead to Russia and its Wagner mercenary group for support.
The military leaders have pledged to regain control of the entire country.
Their offensive against rebels in the north has given rise to numerous allegations that the army and its Russian allies have committed abuses against civilians since 2022, charges they deny.
