Sixteen villages in six different towns in Mali on Tuesday were simultaneously targeted by a group of heavily armed insurgents which sparked a series of explosions and gunfire and exacerbated fears of a new security threat in the nation.
Malian police said the attacks were carried out on military outposts and strategic government buildings in several towns, including Niono, Molodo, Sandaré, Nioro du Sael, Diboli, Gogui and Kayes, and they said that residents heard the sound of massive explosions and heavy gunfire when they tried to stop the attackers.
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The Malian Armed Forces (FAMa) confirmed the attacks as a series of coordinated terrorist strikes in various parts of the country.
Military troops were quick to react and surge back to drive the attackers off but had not provided casualty data as of the reporting date.
According to security analysts, coordinated attacks were touted as having been launched by the al-Qaeda-linked group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), which operates from across the Sahel.
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The group has stepped up its campaign recently, attacking military installations, government buildings and transport networks in Mali and neighboring states.
In some of the communities hit, a lot of people did not go out, saying they were under the protection of the security men, and the local authorities put more security around public premises and key transport routes.
This situation also affected activities and transport in western and central Mali.
The continuing insecurity in Mali despite the ongoing military operations against extremist groups is highlighted by the latest attacks.
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This has been the case for a decade or longer as the country has been dealing with Islamist insurgencies, which have often spilled over into neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger.
