On Tuesday, Mali announced that the capital city of Bamako remains secure following an early morning assault by insurgents on a gendarmerie training facility and other locations, which resulted in gunfire echoing throughout the city.

The military reported, “This morning, a group of terrorists attempted to breach the Faladie gendarmerie school. Cleanup operations are currently in progress.” Residents were advised to steer clear of the affected areas and await further updates from officials. The military government confirmed that “certain sensitive locations in the capital” were targeted, including the gendarmerie school. They stated that the army successfully repelled the “terrorists” involved in the attack and encouraged civilians to continue with their daily activities. The gendarmerie school is situated in Faladie, a district located on the southeastern edge of Bamako, close to the main international airport. Gunfire was reported in the Banankabougou neighborhood near Faladie before dawn, causing individuals en route to the mosque for morning prayers to turn back as the shots were fired.

1. Gunfire erupted at approximately 0530 GMT, with some residents reporting that it originated from the airport’s vicinity, while others indicated it was coming from near the gendarmerie. A security official confirmed that shots were heard across multiple neighborhoods, including those adjacent to the main airport. Another source indicated that the airport had been shut down. Mali is among several West African nations grappling with an Islamist insurgency that began in the arid northern region in 2012 and has since expanded throughout the Sahel and into northern coastal countries. The conflict has resulted in thousands of deaths and the displacement of millions, as militants, some affiliated with al Qaeda and Islamic State, continue to advance, prompting military responses. Both governments and armed groups have faced accusations of perpetrating violence against civilians. The public’s frustration with the authorities’ inability to restore security has led to two coups in Mali in 2020 and 2021, as well as subsequent coups in neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger.

1. Jihadist attacks have intensified despite the assurances from the juntas to enhance security, partly by shifting alliances from Western nations to Russian support, which includes the involvement of mercenaries from Russia’s Wagner private military company. In late July, seasoned Wagner fighters were killed in a confrontation near the Algerian border, where Tuareg rebels engaged the Malian army, which faced significant casualties and was ambushed by jihadists during its retreat. However, it is uncommon for insurgents to target the capital directly. A notable exception occurred in 2015 when armed assailants conducted a dawn assault on the Radisson Blu hotel in Bamako, resulting in the deaths of 20 individuals.