Armed Attack Hits Military Site in Bamako Mali’s Capital Faces Unprecedented Threat

Islamist Insurgents Suspected in Morning Assault Several Soldiers Injured

On Tuesday morning, armed attackers targeted a military site in Mali’s capital, Bamako, marking a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict. The West African country’s military reported that “a group of terrorists” was behind the assault.

The attackers struck a school for military police in the Faladié suburb, located between downtown Bamako and the airport. The raid began around 5:30 a.m. The assailants fired upon the school and then proceeded toward an air base camp south of the airport. By 9 a.m., the area was being searched by Mali’s armed forces, who stated that “the situation is under control” and advised people to stay away from the area.

Several officers were either killed or injured in the attack. Reports indicate that a dozen ambulances transported the injured soldiers to one of Bamako’s largest hospitals, where over 20 wounded soldiers are receiving treatment.

Mali has been engaged in a fight against Islamist insurgents for 12 years, primarily in the northern and central parts of the country. This is the first time the conflict has reached Bamako since 2015, when Islamist militants attacked the Radisson Blu hotel, killing 20 people.

In 2020, a military coup led to the overthrow of Mali’s elected government. The military junta later appointed civilian leaders to prepare for elections, but in 2021, the military ousted these leaders in another coup. This situation is part of a broader trend of instability affecting several countries in Africa.

Just a day before Tuesday’s attack, foreign ministers from Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger met in Bamako to mark the first anniversary of a new alliance among these military-led nations. Earlier this year, these countries had distanced themselves from a regional bloc they had been part of for decades.