Gunfire heard at Mali army base

BAMAKO: Gunfire was heard on Tuesday at an army base outside Mail's capital Bamako as the Norwegian Embassy and security sources said a possible mutiny was under way. Local residents and security sources said there was gunfire at the army base in Kati, about 15 km (9 miles) outside Bamako, where a mutiny in 2012 led to a coup d'etat, although it was not immediately clear who was firing at whom. A source who handles security for non-governmental organisations in Mali said gunfire had also been heard near the prime minister's office.

Kalifa Naman, a senior official at state television ORTM, said its headquarters has been evacuated. There have been no reports of any attack on state TV, which was still broadcasting recorded progamming, as usual. "The embassy has been notified of a mutiny in the Armed Forces and troops are on their way to Bamako. Norwegians should exercise caution and preferably stay at home until the situation is clear," the Norwegian Embassy said in an alert to its citizens. "Yes, mutiny. The military has taken up arms," a security source said. A military spokesman confirmed that gunshots were fired at the base in Kati, but said he did not have any further information.

Opponents of the current president, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, have led mass protests since June calling on Keita to resign over what they say are his failures to restore security and address corruption.