Mali was rocked on Saturday April 25, 2026 by what analysts are calling the most ambitious coordinated assault on the West African state in years. Al-Qaeda affiliate JNIM and the Tuareg-led Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) launched simultaneous attacks on at least six urban centres, beginning around 06:00 GMT.
Heavy gunfire and explosions were heard near the Kati military base — the home of military ruler General Assimi Goita — and around Modibo Keita International Airport in Bamako, forcing cancellations of incoming and outgoing flights.
Defence Minister’s Home Destroyed
Two witnesses told Reuters that the residence of Defence Minister General Sadio Camara was hit and destroyed during the Kati assault. Similar attacks struck Sevare, Gao and Kidal.
Rebels Claim Kidal
- JNIM claimed responsibility for strikes on Bamako airport and four other cities.
- The FLA said its forces had “taken control of Kidal and parts of Gao”.
- Government spokesman Gen. Issa Ousmane Coulibaly confirmed 16 wounded and “several militants killed”, without disclosing a full death toll.
Junta Under Pressure
The attacks are the most serious blow to Goita’s junta since it expelled French (Operation Barkhane) and UN (MINUSMA) forces between 2022 and 2024 and turned to Russia’s Africa Corps (formerly Wagner Group) for security cooperation. Al Jazeera’s Nicolas Haque, a veteran Sahel correspondent, called the operation “unprecedented” in scale and coordination.
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