A group linked to al-Qaeda claimed responsibility for the early morning attack in Mali’s capital, Bamako.
The armed men targeted a military training school and other places in the city, authorities said, blaming a “terrorist group” for the attack.
The Jihadist group, Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM) claimed responsibility, saying it had cost many lives and property.
This attack was the first in years to attack Bamako. Before Tuesday, the city had largely avoided the Islamist violence that has plagued Mali for more than a decade.
JNIM is considered one of the most active militant groups in the wider Sahel region, having carried out numerous attacks in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.
It says a “special operation” on Tuesday attacked a training center and a military airport in Bamako, resulting in casualties for the military.
I New York Times they also reported losses – members of Mali’s security forces told an American paper that “a number” of police officers were killed or wounded. The sources also said that a dozen ambulances carried the soldiers to the hospital.
The government did not mention any such losses, but said the military training school was among the “sensitive areas” “targeted by terrorist attacks” in the morning.
A military statement issued around 08:00 local time (08:00 GMT) said the situation was “under control”, while a statement from the Ministry of Security said citizens could continue their work as normal.
The AFP news agency later reported that “a huge fire broke out” in the afternoon near the airport’s entry control police station.
At the same time, JNIM said it has taken full control of the nearby military airport. The BBC could not confirm this claim.
Earlier, the Malian government television channel broadcast images showing about 20 prisoners. The men were all blindfolded and their wrists tied.
“The terrorists are gone. The sweep continues,” said army chief Oumar Diarra during an ORTM news report.
The news report also showed pictures of three motionless bodies lying on the ground.
International organizations such as the UN have reportedly advised their staff to restrict their movements.
Videos posted earlier on social media showed black smoke rising from part of the city.
As the gunfire erupted, people who went to the mosque to pray in the morning had to go back, said Reuters.
Bamako’s Modibo Keita International Airport has been closed following the incident.
The military took power in 2021, accusing the government of failing to do enough to end the insurgency.
The junta expelled French troops and UN peacekeepers and brought in Russia’s Wagner group to help fight the jihadists, but there are no signs of an end to the violence.
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