Mali army bases hit in large-scale attacks claimed by al Qaeda-linked militants

Reuters ^ | April 25, 2026 | editors / unattributed

[SunkenCiv]

An al Qaeda affiliate and Tuareg rebels claimed responsibility on Saturday for coordinated attacks across Mali, in one of the boldest operations ​insurgents have mounted in their campaign against the military-led government.

Mali's army said in a statement it had killed "several hundred" assailants and repelled the assault, which hit ‌multiple sites in or near the capital, Bamako. It said a large-scale sweep operation was underway in Bamako, the nearby barracks town of Kati and elsewhere in the gold-producing country.

It was unclear how many soldiers or civilians were killed in the attacks. In a statement read out on state television on Saturday evening, the government spokesperson, Issa Ousmane Coulibaly, said 16 people had been injured.

Coulibaly said the situation was completely under control in all ​affected areas. Bamako authorities announced an overnight curfew lasting three days.

Al Qaeda-linked Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) issued a statement, published by SITE Intelligence Group, claiming responsibility for attacks ​in Kati, on the Bamako airport and in localities further north, including Mopti, Sevare and Gao.

It also said the city of Kidal was "captured" ⁠in an operation coordinated with the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), a Tuareg-dominated rebel group.

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TOPICS: Local News
KEYWORDS: 2026; 202604; africa; alqaeda; bamako; fla; frenchcolony; islam; islamic; jnim; mali; muslim; muslims; tuareg; wagner

[SunkenCiv]

A major wave of coordinated militant attacks has struck Mali, targeting the capital Bamako and multiple strategic locations across the country. Military bases, key towns, and areas near the main airport came under fire in what appears to be a highly synchronised operation.

Explosions, heavy gunfire, and ongoing clashes have raised serious concerns about Mali's security situation, with authorities confirming that combat operations are still underway.

With suspected links to extremist groups and a fragile security environment, the attacks mark a significant escalation in the region.

Mali Under Siege: Gunfire, Loud Blasts Near Military Camp,
Airport After 'Coordinated Terror Attack' | 3:07
Times Now | 7.42M subscribers | 4,589 views | April 25, 2026

[SunkenCiv]

Russian Businesses Helping Funnel Military Equipment to Wagner Successor Group in Mali – Report
By Brawley Benson
April 21, 2026
The Moscow Times
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2026/04/21/russian-businesses-helping-funnel-military-equipment-to-wagner-successor-group-in-mali-report-a92553

[Netz]

Is Iran supplying these scum as well?

[piasa]

Probably- Mali is next to uranium-rich Niger.

[piasa]

Pakistani “Islamic bomb” scientist Qadeer Khan’s wife owned or owns a hotel in Mali’s Timbuktu.

Qadeer Khan was known to fly in there and stay.

[aimhigh]

Mali still allows slavery.

[SunkenCiv]

Nothing like Islamic rule to rid a society of slavery.

[SunkenCiv]

Probably not at present, but stockpiles of arms have been emanating from the mullahcracy for decades.

Contrary to pro-mullah talking points, Iran's regime has supported Sunni as well as Shiite jihadists.

Of course, the very personality-based jihadist groups have very fluid alliance systems, giving them a fragmented structure. The IRGC happens to control all the levers of national power in Iran.

The AK-47 has been manufactured by lots of despotic regimes, and there's something north of 200 million of them on the Earth. Ammo is available by the crap-ton.