Gunfire heard in Mali's capital

Mali is one of several West African countries that have been fighting an Islamist insurgency for more than a decade.

In Summary

• Videos on social media show smoke rising from a part of the city, with some suggesting the plumes were coming from a police or military facility.

• Security sources told French news outlets RFI and AFP that armed men attacked one or more camps in the capital.

A panoramic view of Mali capital. /REUTERS
A panoramic view of Mali capital. /REUTERS

Armed men have attacked a military training camp in Mali's capital, Bamako, state television has reported.

It described the attackers as "terrorists".

The announcement from ORTM came after gunfire was heard ringing out in the city early on Tuesday morning. The attackers struck a gendarmerie school near the city's airport but the situation was now "under control", the channel reported.

Mali is one of several West African countries that have been fighting an Islamist insurgency for more than a decade. But it is not clear who was behind this shooting.

The military seized power in a coup in 2021, accusing the government of failing to do enough to quell the insurgency.

However, three years later, there is no sign of the attacks ending.

On Tuesday morning, videos on social media showed plumes of smoke rising from a part of the city.

Witnesses told the Reuters news agency that the gunshots began at around 05:30 local time (05:30 GMT).

People heading to the mosque for morning prayers had turned back as shots rang out, Reuters said.

“Combing operations" are currently taking place at the site of the attack, ORTM said.

WATCH: The latest videos from the Star