Global & US Headlines
25 Apr 2026: Coordinated JNIM–FLA Offensive Reaches Bamako, Kidal Captured
In the early hours of 25 April 2026, al-Qaeda affiliate JNIM and Tuareg-led FLA rebels mounted synchronized assaults from Kati to Kidal, breaching the capital’s outskirts, wrecking the defence minister’s home, downing a military helicopter, and overrunning Kidal— the first time the junta’s heartland and its northern prize fell under joint rebel fire since the 2020–21 coups.
Focusing Facts
- Malian army reported attacks on at least five military sites (Kati, Bamako Airport/Senou, Sévaré, Gao, Kidal) starting around 05:00 local time, with firefights lasting into the afternoon of 25 Apr 2026.
- FLA stated it seized Kidal’s governor’s residence and two army camps while JNIM fighters shot down a Malian Mi-35 helicopter near Gao; neither claim was formally refuted by the junta by day’s end.
- The U.S. Embassy issued a shelter-in-place alert for Bamako at 09:32 local time, its first since the December 2024 airport bombing.
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Perspectives in this article
- Moroccan state-aligned media
- Western outlets critical of the junta
- Regional African news outlets relying on official communiqués