Explosions and sustained gunfire have been reported in Mali's capital, Bamako, as armed groups launched co-ordinated attacks across the country, BBC reported. 

Mali's military said on Saturday evening that efforts to repel the attacks were under way, and some militants had already fled.

Fighting has also been reported around Kati, home to a major military base outside the capital, as well as in Gao and Kidal in the north, and the central cities of Sevare and Mopti. One analyst described it as the largest jihadist attack in years.