Mali Army Says 26 Attackers Died in 5-Site Assault as Rebels Strike Near Bamako

1 articles · Updated · Al Jazeera English · Jul 4

Five coordinated attacks hit Mali before dawn on Saturday, targeting Aguelhok, Anefis, Gao, Sevare and Kenieroba, with the army later saying 26 “terrorists” were killed and the situation was under control.
Twenty of the reported attacker deaths were in Sevare and six in Gao; one pro-government fighter was killed in Gao and four were wounded, while security sources said assailants were repelled at Kenieroba’s prison complex 74 km from Bamako.
The Azawad Liberation Front confirmed it attacked Anefis, where government and Russian forces had deployed after April clashes, and residents said armed groups entered the town while the army kept resisting.
The assault extends pressure on Mali’s military rulers after April attacks on Bamako’s airport and northern bases, and amid a wider insurgency by separatists and jihadist groups that has also included a fuel blockade.