Fighters from the radical group Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimeen, which is considered part of al-Qaeda, took part in a coordinated attack on military targets in several regions of Mali on Saturday. Reuters reported this, citing sources in the country's security forces.
According to them, the radicals coordinated their actions with Tuareg rebels from the Front for the Liberation of Azawad. According to reports, units of the group were active in the south and center of the country, including the capital Bamako, while armed Tuareg groups attacked army positions in the north and east of Mali.
During the attack on the Kati military base on the outskirts of Bamako, the home of the Malian defense minister was shelled and partially destroyed, Reuters reported. According to the agency, the militant attack was the largest in Mali in recent years.
Meanwhile, the General Staff of the Malian Armed Forces reported that the situation in the country was under control of the legitimate authorities and that the militant attacks had been repelled.