Attack on EU Military Mission in Bamako: A gunman killed, two suspects detained

A gunman has been killed and two suspects detained during an attack on a hotel hosting a European Union military training mission in Mali's capital Bamako. On Monday evening, "four people tried to force their way through the barricade firing shots," a witness told AFP. "One of the four was neutralized. We are searching for the three others."

The West African country’s Interior Security Minister Colonel Salif Traoré said, “two suspects were arrested and are being interrogated." No group or individual has yet claimed responsibility for the raid. The European Union Training Mission in Mali (EUTM Mali) said in a post on Twitter that none of its personnel had been harmed in the attack. Security forces cordoned off the area while a clean-up operation was underway.

Mali has been witnessing violence linked to militant activity in its northern regions since 2012. The area remains vulnerable to attacks despite a military intervention led by France in 2013. Last June, Tuareg separatists, who have launched a number of uprisings since the 1960s, signed a peace deal with the Malian government. The peace agreement, brokered by Algeria, raised hopes for an end to years of unrest in the country; however, its implementation has proven challenging.