Fires and explosions have been heard since morning in Mali’s capital Bamako, according to an AFP correspondent.
“Unidentified gunmen attacked at least one police station in Bamako this morning,” said a police official, who asked not to be identified. Gunfire of varying intensity punctuated by explosions began around 5 a.m., AFP reported. Black smoke rose overnight in an area near the airport.
Residents quoted by Reuters said gunshots could be heard in the airport area, while others said they could be heard in the area near a police station.
A security source also said gunshots were heard in several neighborhoods, including areas near the main international airport.
Mali, a poor country that has been facing the spread of jihadists and a deep multidimensional crisis since 2012, has seen two coups d’état, one in August 2020 and the other in May 2021. Since then, it has been ruled by a junta led by Colonel Assimi Goita. After that, neighboring countries Burkina Faso and Niger also saw the military seize power by force. Mali is at the mercy of attacks, which its capital has so far escaped.
