Update: Mali's army claims situation under control following attacks

Mali’s military claims the situation in the country is under control following a series of attacks on Saturday, despite shooting continuing to be heard in the capital, Bamako, and helicopters flying overhead.

Residents and the authorities said gunmen attacked several locations across the country early on in the morning in a possible coordinated assault.

Witnesses reported intense fighting in the nearby town of Kati, home to a major army barracks and junta leader General Assimi Goita.

Gunfire and explosions could be heard in several cities.

Tuareg rebels in the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) meanwhile claim to have seized the northern city of Kidal and parts of Gao.

The Malian junta, which seized power in coups in 2020 and 2021, has labelled the FLA a "terrorist" group.

In a special update, a Malian army spokesperson said that “unidentified armed terrorist groups” had targeted certain locations and military barracks in the capital and the interior of the country.

“We urge the public to remain calm and vigilant. Our defence and security forces are currently engaged in eliminating the attackers. We will provide further details later," he said

The United Nations noted there had been "simultaneous complex attacks" in several towns and cities across the country and the airport in Bamakpo.

The US embassy in Mali issued a security alert on its website urging its citizens in and around the capital to "shelter in place".

The African Union has condemned the armed attacks across Mali, warning of the threat to civilians and stability.

Mali has been plagued by insurgencies fought by affiliates of al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, as well as the Tuareg-led separatist rebellion in the north.

The separatists have been fighting for years to create the state of Azawad in northern Mali.

They once drove security forces from the region, before a 2015 peace deal that has since collapsed paved the way for some ex-rebels to be integrated into the Malian military.

Like neighbouring Niger and Burkina Faso, Mali has severed ties with former colonial ruler France and some Western countries and moved closer to Russia.

Following military coups in all three countries, the leadership has turned to Moscow for help combating Islamic militants.

But the security situation in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso has worsened in recent times, analysts say, with a record number of attacks by militants.

Government forces have also been accused of killing civilians they suspect of collaborating with militants.