Jihadist fighters and their Tuareg separatist allies launched a wave of coordinated attacks across Mali on Saturday, targeting multiple towns and a major prison in a fresh blow to the ruling junta.
The offensive, which began at dawn (5:00 am GMT), hit Gao, Anefis, Aguelhok, and Sevare plus the Kenieroba prison complex near the capital, Bamako. Gunfire and explosions rocked army positions, while a prisoner told AFP from inside Kenieroba: “We are under our beds, the shooting won’t stop.”
The assault comes just over two months after similar attacks killed Mali’s defence minister and saw the strategic city of Kidal fall to separatists. Now, Anefis and Aguelhok the army’s last footholds in the Kidal region are under siege.
An Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) spokesman claimed “several positions have fallen,” but a resident in Anefis said the army was still resisting: “The camp has not yet fallen.” In Gao, residents reported loud blasts near a military base, while in Sevare, aircraft were spotted overhead after mysterious explosions.
The Kenieroba prison, which holds jihadists and other high-risk inmates, remains under heavy fire as security forces scramble to respond. No official casualty figures have been released.
