Al Qaeda affiliate Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, or JNIM, announced the imposition of a "total blockade" of Bamako amid widespread panic in the Malian capital about the alleged entrance of jihadists in parts of the city, Jeune Afrique reported on April 28. This comes after loud explosions were reported near Bamako's Modibo Keita International Airport on the night of April 27-28, which open source intelligence reports said were followed by gunfire and several aerial strikes, although this remains unconfirmed.

On April 25, JNIM launched coordinated attacks across northern, central and southern Mali, including in and around the capital, Bamako. JNIM orchestrated attacks in northern Mali jointly with the Tuareg-led Azawad Liberation Front, or FLA, and took over the town of Kidal and several other localities. Malian security forces and Russian paramilitaries were able to withdraw from these localities after handing over their weapons — including armed vehicles — to JNIM and the FLA, thereby helping the insurgents narrow their capability gap with the junta — especially in northern Mali.