Malian authorities have launched an investigation into suspected military involvement in last week’s coordinated attacks on army bases, officials said.
A judicial source confirmed that active-duty and former soldiers are among those being scrutinised for alleged links to the assaults.
The list of potential accomplices includes three serving soldiers, a retired serviceman, and another dismissed soldier later killed near the main base in Kati, outside Bamako.
The military tribunal prosecutor said initial arrests had already been carried out, while further suspects are being actively pursued.
Officials did not disclose how many individuals were detained or the exact identities of those in custody.
The attacks began on April 25, striking multiple military sites in a rare, coordinated offensive across Mali’s fragile security landscape.
Militants linked to al Qaeda and Tuareg separatist groups were blamed for the assault, exposing deep fractures within the Sahel nation’s conflict zones.
The violence marked a bold challenge to Mali’s ruling military government, which seized power through coups in 2020 and 2021.
Defence Minister Sadio Camara was killed during the unrest, while Russian forces supporting the junta were pushed out of Kidal.
The northern desert region has since erupted into wider clashes, raising fears of territorial gains by armed groups.
Al Qaeda-affiliated fighters from Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin have urged civilians to rise against the state and adopt Sharia law.
The group has also threatened to encircle Bamako, heightening tensions in the capital of nearly four million residents.
Security sources reported checkpoint activity around the city, signalling an increasingly tense and volatile security perimeter.
Military leader Assimi Goita said in a televised address that the situation remained under control despite ongoing threats.
He vowed government forces would “neutralise” the insurgent groups responsible for the coordinated wave of attacks.
