BAMAKO: Mali said on Tuesday that its capital Bamako was under control after insurgents attacked a gendarmerie training school and other areas before dawn, firing gunshots that reverberated around the city. The capital was tense following the attack, with vigilante groups of youth patrolling the streets.
Journalists saw the charred remains of one body. People nearby said it was a cigarette seller, who had been set on fire by youths because he was wearing a bullet belt, making them suspect he was an attacker.
Authorities did not identify who they blamed for the pre-dawn attacks on strategic points in Bamako, but it was a rare case of unrest reaching the capital after years of armed conflict in the hinterlands between government forces and rebels.
"Early this morning, a group of terrorists attempted to infiltrate the Faladie gendarmerie school. Mopping-up operations are currently under way," the army said in a statement. The military government said "some sensitive points of the capital" had come under attack, including the training school in Faladie, a district on the southeastern outskirts of Bamako near the main international airport.
People heard the gunfire from the Banankabougou neighbourhood near Faladie before sunrise. People heading to the mosque for morning prayers turned back as shots rang out.
A police official who did not wish to be identified said there were gunshots around the airport and a military base close to it. A security source said gunfire was heard in several neighbourhoods, including areas close to the main airport.
The military government said the army had pushed back the attackers and urged civilians to go about their daily business. The army said the capital was under control.
A video circulating on social media showed men in civilian clothing rounding up two young boys and forcing them to the ground. Reuters could not authenticate the footage.
Access to the airport was temporarily restricted to avert any risks, the transport ministry said in a statement, telling people there to remain calm. An airport employee said via telephone that everyone was being kept inside the building after gunfire abated. A security agent who did not want to give his name said the attack started around 0300 GMT. He suspected attackers had taken advantage of a holiday on Monday that brought an influx. — Reuters
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