Mali capital under control after ‘terrorist’ attack, army says; airport reportedly closed

Smoke rising from an area near the Bamako airport after shots and detonations were heard. (AFPTV / AFP)

The army says Bamako is under control after what it described as a terrorist attack.Gunfire was heard in the Mali capital, including near the airport, which is reportedly closed.Mali saw coups in 2020 and 2021.

Mali’s army said on Tuesday that the capital Bamako was under control after insurgents attacked a gendarmerie training school, firing gunshots that resonated across the city before dawn.

“Early this morning, a group of terrorists attempted to infiltrate the Faladie gendarmerie school. Mopping-up operations are currently under way throughout the area,” it said in a statement.

It called on residents to avoid the area and await further official communications.

Faladie is a district in the southeastern outskirts of Bamako near the main international airport.

Reuters heard the gunfire in the Banankabougou neighbourhood near Faladie before sunrise. People heading to the mosque for morning prayers turned back as shots rang out.

The gunfire started around 07:30 SAST. Some residents said it came from the direction of the airport, while others said it was coming from next to the gendarmerie.

A security source said gunfire was heard in several neighbourhoods, including areas close to the main airport.

Another security source said the airport had been closed.

Mali is one of several West African countries fighting an Islamist insurgency that took roots in Mali’s arid north in 2012 and has since spread across the Sahel and more recently to the north of coastal countries.

Thousands have been killed and millions displaced in the region amid the militants’ advance and military efforts to push them back, with governments and fighters accused of violence against civilians.

Frustration against the authorities for failing to restore security contributed to two coups in Mali – in 2020 and 2021 – followed by two in neighbouring Burkina Faso and one in Niger.

But jihadist attacks have escalated despite the juntas’ promises to improve security, including by replacing alliances with Western countries with Russian support, including mercenaries from Russia’s Wagner private army.

Experienced Wagner fighters were killed at the end of July during a battle between Tuareg rebels and the Malian army, which suffered heavy losses and was ambushed by jihadists as it withdrew.

This is a developing story.

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