Armed fighters attack five towns across Mali

Armed fighters launched coordinated attacks on five towns in Mali early Saturday, targeting locations including Aguelhok, Anefis, Gao, Sevare, and Kenieroba, according to military and security sources.

In Kenieroba, the main prison complex came under attack, a prisoner told AFP. In Sevare, explosions were heard around 5 am local time (05:00 GMT), though the origin is unclear, and several aircraft were later spotted overhead. In Gao, gunfire and rockets were directed at a military camp since before dawn, with no immediate claim of responsibility.

The Tuareg-led Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) confirmed it attacked the town of Anefis in the northeastern Kidal region. FLA spokesperson Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane said "several positions have fallen, but fighting is still underway inside the city." A resident reported that "armed groups are in the town, but the army is still putting up resistance. The camp [there] has not yet fallen." Anefis and Aguelhok are the last army-held locations in Kidal following April attacks that saw the FLA and an al-Qaeda affiliate seize the regional capital.

Saturday's assault follows high-profile attacks in April, including on Bamako's airport, the killing of the defense minister, and the capture of army bases in the north, posing the latest threat to Mali's military-led government.