Insurgent groups target Malian military installations in fresh attacks

Insurgent groups in Mali said they were behind a series of coordinated attacks on at least seven military installations across the country on Saturday.

In a statement, the ​al Qaeda ‌affiliate, Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal ​Muslimin (JNIM) claimed it has also ‌seized ⁠control of at least three ​of ​them.

Army, security sources, and residents say the jihadists and their Tuareg-led Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) allies struck multiple towns and a prison in fighting that started at around 5 in the morning.

They had previously clashed over ideological differences but set aside their rivalries about a year before the joint strikes.

The attacks come just months after the FLA and the JNIM staged joint strikes against the military authorities that hit the airport in Bamako and killed the defence minister.

Mali's army said its soldiers have repelled Saturday's attacks and that the situation was "totally under control".

But rebels said in the late afternoon that fighting was continuing in several towns, notably in Anefis, one of the last locations where the army maintains a presence in the northern Kidal region.

The attacks highlight the failure of Mali’s military leaders, who seized power in coups in 2020 and 2021, to end what is now a more than decade-long uprising.

After they came to power, they turned away from French military support toward Russia and promised a return to stability, but security has deteriorated since then.

The government has recently pursued closer ⁠ties with ​the United States, which has sought to rebuild cooperation on security and explore mining opportunities.