Jihadists launched coordinated attacks across several parts of Mali on Saturday, targeting multiple towns and a prison in a fresh escalation of the country's ongoing security crisis.
The jihadists attack Mali operation began at about 5:00 a.m. (0500 GMT), with reports of fighting in Gao, Anefis, Aguelhok, Sevare, and the Kenieroba prison, according to the Malian army, residents and security sources.
The attacks come more than two months after similar coordinated assaults by jihadist groups and their Tuareg separatist allies that dealt a major blow to Mali's ruling military government and resulted in the death of the country's defence minister.
Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, spokesperson for the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), an ethnic Tuareg separatist movement, said several military positions had fallen during the latest offensive, although fighting was still ongoing in Anefis.
Residents in the town also confirmed the presence of armed fighters, while noting that government troops continued to resist the assault and had not lost control of their military camp.
Anefis and Aguelhok remain the last major locations in the Kidal region where Mali's armed forces still maintain a presence following the large-scale attacks carried out in late April.
During those earlier offensives, separatist fighters captured the strategic northern city of Kidal, marking one of the biggest setbacks for the ruling military junta in recent years.
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In Gao, residents reported hearing sustained gunfire and powerful explosions near an army base as clashes intensified.
Similar reports emerged from Sevare, where security sources said loud explosions were heard early Saturday before several military aircraft were seen flying over the area.
The violence also spread to the Kenieroba prison complex, located a short distance from the capital, Bamako. The facility houses suspected jihadists and other detainees.
One inmate told AFP that prisoners had taken cover beneath their beds as gunfire continued around the prison.
Saturday's coordinated offensive highlights the persistent security challenges facing Mali despite years of military operations aimed at combating extremist groups and armed separatist movements.
Authorities have yet to provide an official casualty figure or confirm the full extent of the damage caused by the attacks.
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