Fresh fighting erupted on Sunday in the key Malian town of Kidal between Tuareg separatists and government forces, a day after terrorists launched coordinated attacks across the country.
On Saturday, the Tuareg separatists claimed that they had seized the northern city of Kidal.
A local elected official confirmed the fighting on Sunday.
"Today, Sunday, fighting resumed in Kidal between the Malian army, the Russians and the (Tuareg) separatists. Residents heard gunfire. There's shooting," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Army retook Kidal in 2023
Kidal was retaken in November 2023 by the Malian army, ending more than a decade of control by Tuareg separatists, known as the FLA.
The FLA also claims to have taken positions in the northern Gao region.
"The primary aim of the attackers was to at capture Kidal," a security source told AFP on Sunday.
The Saturday attacks took place on the fringes of the Malian capital Bamako and in several towns and cities across the Sahel nation.
At least 16 people killed in Saturday attacks
The fighting left 16 civilians and soldiers wounded and caused "limited material damage," the government said in a statement on Saturday evening.
It added that "the situation is totally under control in all the localities" that were attacked.
In Bamako, soldiers were stationed on Sunday morning around a clinic in the city where Defence Minister Sadio Camara was admitted the previous day, according to a medical source and witnesses.
According to residents, the minister’s residence in Kati, a town that neighbours Bamako, was hit by an explosion. Camara's aides denied he was wounded.
UN chief condemns attacks in Mali
In the capital, access to military facilities has been blocked by barriers and tyres on the roads, an AFP journalist said.
United Nations chief Antonio Guterres condemned "acts of violence" in Mali.
"The Secretary‑General is deeply concerned by reports of attacks in several locations across Mali," his spokesperson said in a statement.
"The Secretary-General calls for coordinated international support to address the evolving threat of terrorism in the Sahel and to meet urgent humanitarian needs," spokesperson Stephane Dujarric added.
