Early Saturday two large blasts and prolonged gunfire shook the area around Mali’s principal military base in Kati, just outside the capital Bamako, local and international news agencies reported. A Reuters witness said soldiers were deployed to close roads around the base. Kati is a key stronghold of the country’s military ruler, General Assimi Goita.
AFP also reported clashes in Gao in the north and in Sévaré in central Mali, while the Associated Press said gunfire was heard near Mali’s international airport. No group immediately claimed responsibility. The Malian army said unspecified “terrorist” groups struck several positions in the capital and other locations, without naming exact sites. Later on Saturday the military said the situation was under control after armed group attacks in Bamako and other towns.
Mali has been battling a jihadist insurgency for more than a decade, with local branches of al‑Qaeda and Islamic State operating alongside recurrent Tuareg rebellions in the north. After coups in 2020 and 2021, military leaders vowed to restore security in the Sahel nation, where militants still control large parts of the north and center and regularly target soldiers and civilians.
The junta led by Goita has leaned on Russian private security forces for support, while relations with Western partners have shifted — most recently including moves toward closer ties with the United States. The military government has also moved against domestic opposition, dissolving political parties and tightening restrictions on critics. Although the junta initially pledged to transfer power back to civilians by March 2024, in July 2025 it extended Goita’s rule by granting him a five‑year presidential term that can be renewed without holding a public vote.