Mali’s capital was hit by a terrorist strike carried out by Al-Qaeda offshoot organisation JNIM on Tuesday (September 17), which began about 5:30 a.m. local time.
According to a security officer, both the Faladié gendarmerie school and the military installation near Modibo Keita Senou airport were targeted.
Later in the day, the situation was under control, and the army chief of staff visited the camp, urging to fight divisions and amalgams.
“I’m telling the Malian people that this attack was intentional. And that we’re all Malians, and we can’t let others put us against each other, therefore we should prevent amalgams.”
General Oumar Diarra also called on the residents to provide information to the authorities: “I’m asking the population to provide information. I think their support has been very substantial, allowing us to pick up suspects here and there. The investigations are ongoing.”
“All the terrorists” who raided the school were ” neutralized”.
Students were killed as well as soldiers, a statement read on national broadcaster ORTM 1 said.
Speaking on condition of anonimity to AP, an official confirmed “material damage,” was also recorded but did not provided specifics.
At least 15 suspects were arrested, the source added.
The JNIM militant group released a video which it says shows fighters setting fire on an official plane and pavilion near the airport in Bamako.
The army said that it was conducting a security sweep after fighting off gunmen.
This is the first attack in Bamako in years as terror groups seek to heap pressure on Mali’s military.
It comes a few days before the country’s Independence Day scheduled on September 22.
In 2022, gunmen struck a Malian army checkpoint about 60 kilometers (40 miles) outside the city, killing at least six people and wounding several others. In 2015, another al-Qaida linked extremist group killed at least 20 people, including one American, during an attack on a hotel in Bamako.
