The Malian army said Saturday that several northern towns, including Gao and Sévaré, were targeted by rebels. The statement came as a rebel group announced a new offensive to capture a northern town.
Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, a spokesperson for the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), said in a Facebook post that the town of Anefis was being targeted by the separatists.
Mohamed Cissé, a resident of Gao, told The Associated Press that the army is going door to door searching for attackers who are still in the city.
In a later statement, the Malian army claimed that “the situation is completely under control.” It added that in Sévaré, “20 terrorists on motorcycles and equipped vehicles were neutralized.”
Mali has previously faced insurgencies by militants affiliated with al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, as well as a separatist rebellion in the country’s north. The separatists have been fighting for years to create an independent state in northern Mali.
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