A Malian army base in the northern city of Timbuktu came under attack on Monday, with shells fired at the airport and heavy gunfire heard throughout the area, according to the army, local officials, and residents.
Mali, currently under military rule, has been grappling with attacks from groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, as well as separatist movements and criminal gangs, since 2012. Timbuktu, a historic desert city, was notably under terrorist control for several months in 2012.
The army’s general staff issued a statement confirming they “thwarted an attempt by terrorist fighters to infiltrate the Timbuktu camp” around 10:00 a.m. local time. They reported that 13 attackers were “neutralised,” though they did not specify if there were other casualties. The army stated that “the search is underway throughout the city of Timbuktu.”
The city governor’s office also confirmed on social media that attackers attempted to breach the military camp and launched shells at the airport, which is located two kilometres from the city. They stated the situation was “under control,” with no immediate details on potential military or civilian victims.
Later in the day, a security source indicated that operations within the camp had concluded, but the attackers were “everywhere in the city.” The source also mentioned that the attackers did not raid the airport directly because “the Russians are there,” but they did launch shells, describing the situation as “hot everywhere.” A local official added that the “terrorists” arrived in Timbuktu with an “explosives-packed vehicle,” which detonated near the military camp.
Credit: Times of India
UN staff in the city were advised via message to “take shelter” and “stay away from windows” due to “shooting.”
A resident reported hearing “heavy gunfire” seemingly emanating from the military camp. A local journalist described the city as “under fire,” noting that the attack by “terrorist groups” involved shots near both the military camp and the airport, prompting residents to return home.
Timbuktu, often called the “city of 333 saints,” suffered significant destruction during the terrorist occupation in 2012, with shrines being destroyed.
French military forces, under Operation Serval, peacefully retook the city in early 2013. Since seizing power in coups in 2020 and 2021, Mali’s military rulers have distanced the country from former colonial power France and strengthened ties with Russia.
Both terrorist groups and the Malian army, along with their Russian paramilitary allies (the Wagner Group), have faced accusations of committing abuses against civilians.
This latest attack follows a September incident where terrorists attacked a police academy and stormed the military airport in the capital, Bamako, marking the first such attack there since 2016. These ongoing attacks undermine the junta’s claims that its new foreign partnerships and increased military efforts are effectively turning the tide against terrorist groups.
