🔴 Jihadist group JNIM says it launched attacks in Mali with Tuareg rebels
Issued on: 25/04/2026 - 11:35Modified: 25/04/2026 - 20:14
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Gunmen attacked several locations in Mali's capital and other cities early Saturday. Mali’s army said its soldiers were “engaged in eliminating the attackers”. Meanwhile, Tuareg rebels of the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) coalition said they had captured the northern city of Kidal. Follow our liveblog for the latest updates.
25/04/2026 - 20:14Israel PM orders attacks on Hezbollah after army alleges truce violations
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the military to strike Lebanon's Hezbollah hard after what the army said was a string of ceasefire violations.
According to a brief statement from his office, the premier "ordered the IDF to forcefully attack Hezbollah targets in Lebanon", after the military said the Iran-backed group had violated a ceasefire that was extended earlier this week.
Jihadist group JNIM says it launched Mali attacks with Tuareg rebels
Jihadist group Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) says it launched Saturday's attacks in Mali with Tuareg rebels.
Tuareg rebels "trying to create a separatist state" from Mali for years
Tuareg rebels have been "trying to create a separatist state" from Mali since 2012, said Folahanmi Aina, Lecturer, Political Economy of Violence, Conflict and Development, SOAS University, London. They have also collaborated with some jihadist groups that exist in the region, so "it doesn't come as a surprise that this attack appears to be somewhat coordinated". Click on the video for more.
25/04/2026 - 17:41Non-verified video shows Tuareg rebels inside of the governor's office in Kidal.
A video from Kidal showed Tuareg rebels inside of the governor's office. FRANCE 24 could not independently verify the video's source.
25/04/2026 - 17:30Iran president calls on people to save energy
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian called on his people to conserve electricity, warning that while there were no shortages at present, the US and Israel aimed to sow "dissatisfaction" among the Iranian people.
"We have asked our dear people, who are now ready and present on the ground, a simple request. And that is to reduce their own electricity and energy consumption," the president said on state TV.
"We do not need people to sacrifice for the time being, but we do need to control consumption. Instead of 10 lights, two lights should be turned on in the house – what is wrong with that?" he added.
25/04/2026 - 17:27Attacks on Bamako a 'dramatic setback' for Malian government
The coordinated attacks on Mali's capital of Bamako represent a "dramatic setback" for the junta-led government, said Andrew Lebovich, Research Fellow with Clingendael's Conflict Research Unit. Lebovich said the attacks also showed how tenuous the security situation in Mali is with authorities along with their Russian partners struggling to prevent the attacks in and around the capital.
25/04/2026 - 16:29African Union condemns Mali attacks endangering civilians
The African Union on Saturday condemned attacks in Mali for putting civilians at risk, as the junta-ruled west African country battled surprise assaults in its capital and elsewhere by what its army called "terrorist groups".
The AU's chairperson, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, said in a statement posted online he "strongly condemns these acts, which risk exposing civilian populations to significant harm" and stressed his organisation's commitment to stability and peace in Mali.
25/04/2026 - 15:43Militants seen on the streets in Kidal, northern Mali
This photo released by Front of Azawad Liberation, shows militants on the streets in Kidal, northern, Mali, April 25, 2026. (Front of Azawad Liberation/ ViaAP)
25/04/2026 - 15:19The Tuareg-led Azawad separatist movement claims attacks on Malian capital
The army in junta-ruled Mali said it was battling what it called “terrorist groups” that launched surprise attacks around the capital Bamako and other parts of the West African nation. The attacks were claimed by the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), a separatist group that has been fighting the Malian army for more than a decade. FRANCE 24 journalist Justice Baidoo reported that the FLA has largely been confined to northern Mali in recent years.
25/04/2026 - 14:57Mali insurgents hit military bases in 'complex attacks', airport shut
Insurgents launched attacks in Mali's capital and other locations across the country on Saturday, with the army urging people to remain calm as the military-led government faced one of the biggest operations yet in a long campaign against it.
A UN security note said there had been "simultaneous complex attacks" in Kati, near Bamako's airport and in cities and towns further north including Mopti, Gao and Kidal, while the US embassy in Mali urged its citizens to shelter in place.
Two explosions and sustained gunfire were heard shortly before 6 am (0600 GMT) near Mali's main military base Kati, north of its capital Bamako, and shots were still ringing out in the area more than four hours later as army helicopters flew overhead, a Reuters witness and two residents said.
Jihadi presence 'already widespread' across Mali in 2025, says researcher
A map from September 2025 "gives the sense of how widespread Jihadi presence already was across Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger even before today's offensive", wrote Thomas Van Linge, an independent researcher on social media.
25/04/2026 - 14:41Africa Union condemns attacks in Mali putting civilians at risk
The African Union condemned the reported attacks in Mali on social media.
"The Chairperson [Mahmoud Ali Youssouf] strongly condemns these acts, which risk exposing civilian populations to significant harm, and reaffirms the Commission’s steadfast commitment to the promotion of peace, security, good governance, and stability in Mali," posted the African Union on X, formerly Twitter.
25/04/2026 - 14:36Coordinated attacks hit Bamako and Northern Mali
Gunmen launched a wave of coordinated assaults across Mali early Saturday, striking the capital Bamako as well as key northern cities including Kidal and Gao. FRANCE 24's Justice Baidoo reports.
25/04/2026 - 14:17Mali army says situation under control following attacks in Bamako and other towns
Mali's army said that the situation was under control following attacks by armed groups in Bamako and other towns across the country.
FLA rebels say they have taken control of Kidal in north Mali
Malian Tuareg rebels from the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) claim to have taken control of the key town of Kidal, in northern Mali.
“The town of Kidal has come under the control of our armed forces,” the FLA wrote in a message on Facebook.
Kidal was a former stronghold of for the FLA, and has also been occupied by the Malian army and Russian troops.
FLA troops control "most of Kidal", Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, a spokesman for the Malian rebels told AFP. He said the governor of Kidal had taken refuge with his men inside a former UN mission.
FRANCE 24 was unable to verify the claims.
Coordinated attacks hit Bamako, central and northern Mali
FRANCE 24's Justice Baidoo reports from Ghana.
25/04/2026 - 13:28Mali army says situation under control following attacks
25/04/2026 - 13:05- Gunfire heard near Mali’s international airport
- Army says fighting 'ongoing', calls for civilians to remain calm
- Residents report fighting in towns and cities across Mali
- FLA rebels say they have taken control of Kidal in north Mali
FRANCE 24's Wassim Nasr shared footage appearing to show the house of Mali's minister of defence in Kati destroyed by attacks.
25/04/2026 - 12:34Gunfire rocks Bamako: 'Too soon to tell' if junta will fall
Mali's army said Saturday that it was fighting "terrorist groups" that had attacked army barracks in the capital Bamako and other areas in the African nation.
Witnesses reported gunfire in several cities in the military-ruled state and an army statement said: "Terrorist groups, not yet identified, early this morning targeted certain points and barracks in the capital and the interior."
FRANCE 24's jihadism specialist Wassim Nasr said it is still "too soon to tell" if the country's military junta will fall.
(FRANCE 24 with AP, AFP and Reuters)
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