Mali Targeted by Large-Scale, Coordinated Armed Attacks

Fighting erupted early Saturday on the outskirts of Bamako and in other localities across Mali as the Malian army, which confirmed the attacks in the statement, fought to repel large-scale, coordinated attacks by armed groups, several media outlets reported.

A coalition of jihadist and separatist forces launched a coordinated offensive across Mali on Saturday, striking strategic military and urban targets from the north to the capital, Bamako, in one of the most significant escalations in recent months.

Despite the intensity of the attacks, Mali’s armed forces in a statement say counter-operations are underway and insist the situation in “under control, according to Yakubu Mohammed, reporting forPremium Times. “Analysts caution against drawing premature conclusions about state collapse. Despite the breadth of the current attacks, there is, so far, no clear indication of an imminent breakdown of the Malian state.”

The attacks in Mali come as insecurity spreads across the Sahael region. “Irregular armed groups in West Africa have exploited tactical deficiencies in military force structures, requiring greater integration of mobility, intelligence, and sustainment capabilities within African counterinsurgency operations,” according a Security Brief issued in February by the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, authored by Fatai Alli.