Terrorists launched attacks across Mali on Saturday, causing a temporary shutdown of the country’s main airport as explosions rocked different locations in the country.

In the early hours of the day, explosions and gunshots rocked an army base outside Bamako. However, the Malian military said it had regained control of the situation and repelled the attack by suspected al-Qaeda and Islamic State-linked militants.

In a statement on Saturday, the Malian military said “fighting is ongoing”, adding that “our defence and security forces are currently engaged in repelling the attackers.”

African Union Commission Chairman Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, in a statement on X on Saturday, expressed “deep concern” and “strongly condemns these acts which risk exposing civilian populations to significant harm.”

Similarly, the U.S. Bureau of African Affairs strongly condemned the attacks, saying “We extend our deepest condolences to the victims, their families, and all those affected, and we stand with the Malian people and government in the face of this violence.”

Plagued by insurgency, the military took over power after coups in 2020 and 2021, dissolving political parties.