Mali army says situation ‘under control’ after ‘terrorist’ attack

Bamako: Mali’s army said Tuesday that the situation was “under control” after what it called a foiled infiltration attempt by “terrorists” into a military police base in the capital, Bamako, where attacks are rare.

“Early this morning, a group of terrorists tried to infiltrate the Faladie military police school,” the army said on social media.

“The situation is under control,” it also announced in a news flash on radio and television.

The security ministry spoke of “terrorist attacks” against “sensitive points of the capital”, including the military police school.

Mali’s military-led authorities generally use the term “terrorists” to describe militants and separatists in the north of the country.

Search operations are under way, the army said, calling on people to remain calm and avoid the area.

Two members of the military police were wounded, they and their family told AFP.

Bamako is normally spared the kind of attacks that occur in some parts of the West African country on an almost daily basis.

But the city awoke on Tuesday to the sound of gunfire and explosions, an AFP correspondent said.

Sporadic shots were still ringing out at the start of the morning.

“This morning armed men attacked at least one military police base in Bamako. They have not been formally identified,” a police source told AFP on condition of anonymity.

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.

Gunfire, explosions

Volleys of gunfire interspersed with explosions began at around 5am, the AFP correspondent said.

A witness said he and other worshippers were stuck in a mosque near the area during early morning prayers.

The French high school, Liberte, announced it would remain closed “due to external events”.

Staff at the United Nations mission in Mali received a message, saying: “Gunshots heard in parts of Bamako. All UN personnel are to restrict movements until further notice.”

Poor and landlocked Mali has since 2012 been ravaged by different factions affiliated to Al Qaeda and the Islamic State group, as well as by self-declared defence forces and bandits.

The violence spilled over into neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger.

Mali has been ruled by a military junta since back-to-back coups in 2020 and 2021.

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 government last year also ordered the withdrawal of the UN stabilisation mission, MINUSMA, and in January ended a 2015 peace agreement with separatist groups in the north.

Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger - the latter two also now under military leadership - formed their own Sahel alliance a year ago and all pledged to leave regional bloc, ECOWAS.

The worsening security situation in Mali has been compounded by a humanitarian, economic and political crisis.

The military leaders have pledged to regain control of the entire country.