Situation 'under control' after rare militant attack on Mali capital: army

A general view of the city of Bamako pictured from the point G in Bamako, Mali. (Photo/Reuters)

A militant group linked to Al Qaeda has claimed responsibility for an attack on a military airport and training centre in Bamako, the first attack of its kind in years to hit the Malian capital.

The JNIM group said on its communication channels on Tuesday that a "special operation" targeted "the military airport and the training centre of the Malian gendarmes in the centre of the Malian capital" at dawn.

It said the attack caused "huge human and material losses and the destruction of several military aircraft".

Heavy exchanges of fire took place early afternoon near the police station controlling access to the civilian airport terminal, security and airport officials said on condition of anonymity.

Earlier, Mali's army said the situation was "under control" after what it called a foiled infiltration attempt by "terrorists" into a military police base.

The authorities generally use the term "terrorists" to describe militants and separatists in the north of the country.

'Sweep is continuing'

The scale of the attack, targets, means used and human toll remain unclear.

Bamako is normally spared the kind of attacks that occur almost daily in some parts of the West African country.

In 2016, gunmen attacked a Bamako hotel housing the former European training mission of the Malian army, with no casualties reported among the mission staff.

"Early this morning, a group of terrorists tried to infiltrate the Faladie military police school," the army said on social media on Tuesday.

"The situation is under control," it announced in a news flash on radio and television.

The security ministry spoke of "terrorist attacks" against "sensitive points of the capital", including the military police school.

Images broadcast later in the day by Mali's public TV channel showed around 20 prisoners, sat on the floor with hands tied and blindfolded.

"The terrorists have been neutralised. The sweep is continuing," army chief of staff Oumar Diarra said during the ORTM news report but did not mention an attack on the airport.