Jihadists, Tuareg allies launch coordinated attacks across Mali

Mali was struck by a wave of coordinated jihadist and separatist Tuareg attacks on Saturday, hitting several towns and a prison in a significant escalation of violence. The assaults, which commenced around 5:00 AM, targeted key locations including Gao, Anefis, Aguelhok, and Sevare, according to reports from the army, residents, and security sources.

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several positions have fallen, but fighting is still underway inside the city

Fighting was particularly intense in Anefis, where a spokesman for the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), an ethnic Tuareg separatist movement, confirmed that "several positions have fallen, but fighting is still underway inside the city." Residents described armed groups entering the town while the army offered resistance, though a nearby camp had not yet been overrun.

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armed groups are in the town, but the army is still putting up resistance. The camp (there) has not yet fallen

The northern towns of Anefis and Aguelhok represent the last remaining Malian army strongholds in the Kidal region. Their potential fall follows the major offensives of late April, which saw the strategic city of Kidal captured by FLA fighters, marking a substantial blow to the ruling military junta.

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explosions rang out… around 5:00 am, though their origin is not yet known. Shortly thereafter, several aircraft were spotted flying over the area

In Gao, residents reported hearing gunfire and "loud blasts" near an army camp. Meanwhile, in the central town of Sevare, "explosions rang out… around 5:00 AM," with several aircraft later spotted flying overhead. The Kenieroba prison complex, located a short distance from the capital Bamako and holding numerous jihadist detainees, also came under attack, with one prisoner reporting ongoing gunfire.

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We are under our beds, the gunfire continues