Armed groups launch simultaneous attacks in Mali as military scrambles to contain blasts
Explosions and sustained gunfire have been reported in Mali's capital Bamako as the country's defence forces are tackling a possible coordinated attack
The military has reported that "unidentified armed terrorist groups targeted certain locations and barracks in the capital".
In a statement released on Saturday, it added that the "fighting is ongoing" and that "our defence and security forces are currently engaged in repelling the attackers".
Witnesses have told the Reuters they've seen explosions around the Kati military base. Soldiers have since been deployed to block off roads in the area.
Similar attacks were reported in the towns of Sevare and Kida and in the city of Gao.
"There's gunfire everywhere," a witness in Sevare said, while a resident in Gao told Associated Press their house was shaking due to the "force of the explosions".
Mali is facing ongoing violence from al-Qaeda and ISIS-linked militants, compounded by a Tuareg-led separatist movement in the north.
A spokesperson for the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), a Tuareg-dominated alliance, said on social media it had taken control of positions in Kidal and Gao.
Meanwhile, security sources told Reuters that regional al-Qaeda affiliate Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) was also involved. While JNIM has so far not claimed responsibility, it has staged frequent attacks in the country.
Yousra Elbagir, a correspondent for Sky News in Africa, said the attacks were worrying but not surprising as jihadists and separatist groups had joined forces in recent years.
She explained: "The concern now is what does this mean for other cities in the region. "What does it mean for the capital of Burkina Faso and the capital of Niger?"
Meanwhile, Ulf Laessing, a Mali expert from the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, told the broadcaster that this was the "largest attack in years" and the apparent close coordination between the groups posed a "new level of threat".
He said: "We had already an attack on the capital of Niger, Niamey Airport, in the start of February. And now again, attacking another capital, Bamako. So the jihadists, they're getting bolder."