Mali reports rebel attacks across north, targeting major cities

Key facts

• Mali's army reported rebel attacks in northern towns on Saturday.
• Gao and Sévaré were among the towns targeted by rebel attacks.
• The Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) announced a new offensive targeting Anefis.
• The FLA and Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) conducted coordinated assaults across Mali.
• A Tuareg-led insurgent group claimed responsibility for an attack on Anefis.
• Government and Russian forces are stationed in Anefis.
• Residents in two other towns reported gunfire and explosions.
• The attacks represent a threat to Mali's military-led government.

Mali's army reported Saturday that several towns in the north, including Gao and Sévaré, were targeted by rebel attacks. This follows a new offensive announced by the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) targeting Anefis. Broader coordinated assaults by the FLA and Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) were reported across the country. A Tuareg-led insurgent group claimed responsibility for an attack on Anefis in northern Mali, where government and Russian forces are stationed. Residents in two other towns reported gunfire and explosions, marking the latest threat to the country's military-led government.