Airport Closed As Gunmen Attack Military Police Base In Bamako

[Richard Ogunsile]

There were concerns on Tuesday morning after some unidentified assailants reportedly attacked the military police base in the Malian capital, Bamako.​

Naija News learnt that gunshots and explosions were heard, forcing the abrupt closure of the airport.

“This morning, armed men attacked at least one military police base in Bamako. They have not been formally identified,” a police source who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity noted.

According to the source, volleys of gunfire interspersed with explosions began at around 5:00 am and black smoke could be seen rising from an area near the airport.

“Bamako airport is temporarily closed due to events,” an official at the airport disclosed. Though he could not explain how long the closure would last.

A witness reported that he and other congregants were trapped in a mosque in the vicinity during the early morning prayers.

The French high school Liberte declared it would remain closed “due to external events,” while personnel at the United Nations mission in Mali received a notification advising them to “limit their movements until further notice.”

Since the consecutive coups in 2020 and 2021, Mali has been governed by a military junta.

Several armed rebel factions are active in the West African nation, including separatists and jihadists affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group; however, the capital has thus far been relatively unaffected.

Following the Malian coup, military juntas also took control in neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger.

Under the leadership of Colonel Assimi Goita, Mali severed its long-standing partnership with European allies and its former colonial power, France, opting instead for support from Russia and its Wagner mercenary group.

The military authorities have committed to reestablishing control over the entire nation.

Their campaign against northern rebels has led to numerous allegations of abuses against civilians by the army and its Russian partners since 2022, allegations that they refute.

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