RismadarVoice Reporters
July 4, 2026
Armed insurgents launched coordinated attacks on multiple military positions across Mali on Saturday, targeting at least five locations in the latest escalation of violence in the conflict-ridden West African nation.
According to the Malian Armed Forces, the attacks struck military installations in Anefis, Aguelhoc and Gao in the north, Sevare in central Mali, and Kenioroba in the south.
In a statement, the military said its troops successfully repelled the assaults and that the security situation had been brought “totally under control.”
The army added that at least 26 suspected terrorists were killed during the operations, including 20 in Sevare and six in Gao. One pro-government fighter was reportedly killed, while four others sustained injuries in Gao.
A spokesperson for the Tuareg-led Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, claimed the group participated in Saturday’s attacks and said its fighters had entered Anefis in the northeastern Kidal region.
The FLA has previously collaborated with the al-Qaeda-linked Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM). However, JNIM had not claimed responsibility for the latest attacks as of the time of reporting.
Reuters could not independently verify the FLA’s claims.
Residents in Gao reported intense gunfire and rocket attacks targeting a military base before dawn, forcing people to remain indoors as security forces sealed off major roads.
“The noise was so intense it felt like the roof was going to collapse,” one resident said.
In Sevare, witnesses said heavy gunfire erupted early in the morning, followed by multiple explosions that shook parts of the town for several hours.
Kenioroba, which houses a prison holding members of Mali’s political opposition, was also targeted. Security and diplomatic sources said government forces repelled the attackers before they could overrun the facility.
The renewed violence underscores Mali’s persistent security challenges despite promises by the country’s military rulers, who seized power in coups in 2020 and 2021, to restore stability.
The country has continued to battle jihadist insurgencies linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, while separatist groups remain active in the northern regions.
Mali has strengthened security cooperation with Russia, whose Africa Corps personnel are supporting government forces, while also seeking renewed security and economic ties with the United States.
