The SITE Intelligence Group quoted Al-Qaeda's "Group to Support Islam and Muslims" as saying in a statement that it was responsible for coordinated attacks across Mali on Saturday in conjunction with the Tuareg-dominated Front for the Liberation of Azawad. Armed men launched attacks across Mali early on Saturday morning, before the army later announced that it had regained control of the situation in the country.

Published on: 04/25/2026 - 12:04 Last updated: 04/26/2026 - 08:31

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The Al-Qaeda-affiliated group to support Islam and Muslims announced in a statement that it was responsible for coordinated attacks across Mali on Saturday in conjunction with the Tuareg-dominated Front for the Liberation of Azawad, according to the SITE Intelligence Group.

Armed men launched attacks across Mali early Saturday morning before the army later announced that it had regained control of the situation in the country, at a time when the army-led government is facing one of the largest operations directed against it in a long conflict with groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.

"Sophisticated simultaneous attacks"

A United Nations security memorandum reported “simultaneous complex attacks” in Kati, near Bamako airport, and in cities and towns in the north, including Mopti, Gao, and Kidal.

A witness from Sévari, central Mali, said, “The sound of gunfire could be heard everywhere,” while the US embassy in Mali urged its citizens to remain where they were. Britons were advised not to travel to Mali, as the army said it had been subjected to attacks by unidentified “terrorist” groups in several places.

Mali is facing waves of insurgency by groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State in West Africa, like other countries in the Sahel region, in addition to a long-term rebellion led by the Tuareg in the north.

The Malian government, headed by Assimi Goeta, took power after two coups in 2020 and 2021, with a pledge to restore security, but it faces difficulties in achieving this.

The army said shortly after 11:00 GMT that the situation was under control, but a resident of Gao, a major military center in the north, said that he heard a strong explosion at approximately 12 noon and that soldiers and attackers continued to exchange fire in the streets.

'Internationally coordinated' response

For his part, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday condemned the "acts of violence" in Mali after a jihadist group announced that its fighters, along with Tuareg rebels, launched attacks against the army throughout the country where a military junta is ruling.

A statement from Guterres' spokesman said: "The Secretary-General is deeply concerned by reports of attacks in several locations across Mali" and calls for "coordinated international support to deal with the growing threat of violent extremism and terrorism in the Sahel region and meet urgent humanitarian needs."

Escalation in rebellion

Today's attacks indicate a possible escalation in the insurgency that began in 2012.

"This appears to be the largest coordinated attack in years," said Ulf Leising, head of the Sahel program at Germany's Konrad Adenauer Foundation.

In September 2024, the group “Insisting Islam and Muslims” attacked a security forces training school near Bamako airport, killing about 70 people.

A year later, the group declared a blockade on fuel imports and attacked fuel tankers under military guard in southern and western Mali, demonstrating its ability to operate in areas where it had not operated before.

The Goeta government, which relied on Russian military contractors for support while initially refusing to cooperate with Western countries, began seeking to strengthen its relationship with Washington.

Mali's foreign minister told Reuters on Monday that neighboring countries support terrorist groups. He refused to reveal the names of those neighboring countries, adding that foreign powers outside the region were also involved, but he did not provide evidence of that.

France 24/Reuters

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