BAMAKO - Insurgents in Mali staged attacks in five locations early on Saturday, including a northern town where government and Russian fighters are based and a town south of the capital Bamako, the latest threat to the landlocked Sahel nation's embattled leaders.

The assault targeted army positions in cities and towns including Anefis, Aguelhoc and Gao in northern Mali, Sevare in central Mali and Kenioroba in the south, the Malian armed forces said in a statement.

Soldiers repelled the attacks and the situation was "totally under control", the statement said, adding that 20 "terrorists" had been killed in Sevare and six in Gao. One pro-government fighter was killed in Gao and four others were injured, it said.

A spokesperson for a Tuareg-led rebel group, the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), said it was involved in Saturday's attacks. The group partnered with the regional al Qaeda affiliate, Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), in April in a coordinated, high-profile operation that hit the airport in the capital Bamako and killed the defence minister.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility from JNIM.

ROCKET ATTACKS AND EXPLOSIONS REPORTED

The FLA's spokesperson, Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, said the group's fighters had entered Anefis, in the northeastern Kidal region. Government and Russian troops were deployed there after the April attacks, having previously been driven from the strategic town of Kidal.

Reuters could not independently verify the claim.

In Gao, a local official said gunfire and rocket attacks targeting a military camp had continued since before dawn, though it was not immediately clear who was responsible.

"No one could go out this morning... the Malian Armed Forces have blocked all the streets. We're in our homes," a Gao resident said. "The noise was so intense it felt like the roof was going to collapse."

In Sevare, a resident told Reuters that early morning gunfire was followed by four large explosions in the west of the city at around 8 a.m. local time (0800 GMT). Even heavier detonations were heard in the town at around 10 a.m., the resident said.

The sources spoke on condition of anonymity for safety reasons. Kenioroba is home to a prison holding members of Mali's political opposition. A diplomatic source and a security source said the prison was attacked, though one said security forces repelled the assailants.

A government spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

INSECURITY PERSISTS DESPITE PROMISES FROM MILITARY LEADERS

The attacks highlight the failure of Mali's military leaders, who seized power in coups in 2020 and 2021, to deliver the improved security they promised.

In September 2024, JNIM attacked a paramilitary police training school near the Bamako airport, killing about 70 ⁠people. More recently, it carried out a fuel blockade that has starved the capital's residents and businesses of power and supplies.

Mali's government has recently pursued closer ties with Washington, which has sought to rebuild cooperation on security and explore mining opportunities.

Russia, whose Africa Corps forces are backing the government, vowed to stand by Mali after the attacks in April.

Jihadist violence has also rocked neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger, which like Mali have turned to Russia for security assistance.

(Reporting by Mali newsroom; Additional reporting by Robbie Corey-Boulet and Portia Crowe; Writing by Robbie Corey-Boulet; Editing by Ros Russell)

Militants chant "God is Great" as they ride in vehicles in Anefis, Mali, as gunshots ring out Anefis, Mali, July 4, 2026 in this screengrab taken from a social media video. SOCIAL MEDIA/via REUTERS SOCIAL MEDIA Reuters

Copyright Reuters or USA Today Network via Reuters Connect.

This story was originally published July 4, 2026 at 11:36 AM.

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