Extremists launched an attack on a military training camp in Mali’s capital, Bamako, on Tuesday, prompting authorities to temporarily close the city’s airport, the army and government officials reported.
The Malian military stated that gunmen attempted to infiltrate the Faladie gendarme school, located on the outskirts of Bamako. A sweep operation was initiated, with the army asserting that the situation was under control. Residents were advised to avoid the area.
Mohamed Ould Mamouni, communications officer at the ministry of transport, confirmed the suspension of flights due to an exchange of fire near the airport. The ministry will determine when operations can safely resume.
An Associated Press reporter in Bamako heard two explosions and observed smoke rising in the distance early Tuesday morning.
Mali, along with neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger, has been grappling with an insurgency led by armed groups, some affiliated with al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, for over a decade. Following recent military coups in all three nations, the ruling juntas have expelled French forces and turned to Russian mercenary units for security assistance.
Since assuming power, Col. Assimi Goita has faced challenges in curbing the growing number of attacks by jihadis, particularly in central and northern Mali. In July, approximately 50 Russian mercenaries were killed in an al-Qaida ambush while fighting alongside Mali’s army against Tuareg rebels.
While attacks in Bamako are uncommon, in 2022, gunmen struck a Malian army checkpoint about 60 kilometers (37 miles) outside the city, resulting in at least six deaths and several injuries.
Source: apnews.com
