Explosions and gunfire as armed groups launch co-ordinated attacks across Mali

Witnesses report clashes in the centre and north, in what has been described as the largest jihadist attack in years.

On April 25, 2026, coordinated attacks by Islamic militants and Tuareg separatists struck multiple locations across Mali, including the capital Bamako, in one of the country's largest assaults in recent years. The al-Qaida-affiliated group JNIM and the Azawad Liberation Front claimed joint responsibility for these attacks, which targeted Bamako’s international airport, Kati (home to Mali’s main military base), and cities such as Sevare, Mopti, Gao, and Kidal.

Gunmen have attacked Mali’s capital, Bamako, and several other locations across the country in an apparently coordinated assault involving multiple groups. The army reported fighting 'terrorist groups' that had attacked army barracks in Bamako and other areas in the military-ruled nation.

Islamist militants and separatists launched attacks across Mali, including in Bamako, Kati, Gao, and Kidal. The attacks are widely believed to have been waged by Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), in coordination with the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), a Tuareg-dominated rebel alliance.

Gunmen launched coordinated attacks across Mali’s capital and other cities, marking the largest assault in years, with apparent collaboration between Al Qaeda-affiliated and Tuareg separatist forces.

Islamic militants and separatists attacked several locations in Mali’s capital and other cities in one of the largest coordinated attacks in the country in recent years. The al-Qaida-linked militant group JNIM claimed responsibility for the attacks on Bamako’s international airport and four other cities in central and northern Mali.

The Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) confirmed collaborating with the al-Qaida-linked group JNIM in coordinated attacks on the Malian army, targeting Bamako's international airport and cities in central and northern Mali, resulting in at least 16 wounded and several militants killed.