Verified footage shows attack on Mali's main airport | ABS-CBN News

Mali's main international airport in Bamako was among the targets of a rare insurgent attack on the capital city, authorities said. Videos posted to the social media accounts of Al Qaeda affiliate, Jama'a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM) showed an armed individual setting fire to a Boeing 737 with "Republic of Mali" written on its side. Other footage depicted a gunman firing in an empty airport hall and smoke rising from an airport hangar. Reuters was able to verify the location of the incident through multiple sources. The road layout, terrain, tarmac markings, and the structure of the hangar and surrounding buildings matched satellite imagery of the area, and the government plane seen in the footage corresponded with file images on various flight tracking websites. The date of the event was confirmed through Reuters' own coverage of the incident. The transport ministry temporarily restricted access to the airport "to avert any risks," urging people to remain calm. An airport employee, speaking anonymously, confirmed that staff were kept inside the building during the incident. JNIM claimed responsibility for the broader attack, which also targeted a gendarmerie training school and other strategic points in Bamako. The Malian army later stated they had regained control of the situation, with Army Chief General Oumar Diarra describing it as a "complex attack" that had been "neutralised." - Report from Reuters For more ABS-CBN News videos, click the link below: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgyY1WylJUmgUHWUpi2ioSp4xAP1SmAaf For more latest news and analysis from ABS-CBN News videos, click the link below: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgyY1WylJUmg4pcvfM9a96rbUcLD_0P_U For more News Digital News Raw Cuts, click the link below: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgyY1WylJUmi83yKJH8Dv0p_3D4cyZKzV Subscribe to the ABS-CBN News channel! - http://bit.ly/TheABSCBNNews Watch the full episodes of TV Patrol on iWantTFC: http://bit.ly/TVPatrol-iWantTFC Visit our website at http://news.abs-cbn.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/abscbnNEWS Twitter: https://twitter.com/abscbnnews #Exclusive #LatestNews #ABSCBNNews