Fears of Fresh African Terrorism After EU Military Base Attack in Mali

There are fears of an increase in violent Islamist activity in parts of northwest Africa after gunmen opened fire on a hotel being used as a EU military training base in Mali's capital city of Bamako.

Local media reported that shots were fired and at least one explosion was heard during the attack on the Azalai Hotel Nord Sud on Monday night.

"The attackers tried to force through the entry and the guards posted in front of the entrance opened fire. One attacker was killed. The gunfire continued for several minutes," a witness told Reuters.

No EU soldiers were hurt in the incident at the hotel, which has been transformed into a base for nearly 600 soldiers as part of the European Union Training Mission in Mali (EUTM).

Official Information from EUTM-Mali:1. EUTM Mali headquarters (BAMAKO) has been attacked by small arms fire.2. The…

Posted by EUTM Mali on Monday, March 21, 2016

While the identity of the gunmen is not yet known, there are fears the incident may have been another Islamist-inspired attack, which comes amid increased fighting between government forces and Islamist insurgents in Mali and other parts of West Africa.

The latest incident comes just months after 21 people were killed in an al-Qaeda affiliated attack on the Radisson Blu Hotel in Bamako in November.

While it also follows last week's attack on a beachfront resort on the Ivory Coast, which saw terrorist group al-Qaeda in the Magreb claim responsibility for the mass shooting that resulted in 19 deaths.

Mali has experienced increased attacks from Islamist militants since late 2011, with Malian soldiers being supported by a UN team of more than 10,000 troops as part of the international mission in the country.

The concerns follow the widespread devastation caused by Islamist group Boko Haram, who caused the death and displacement of many in Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Cameroon in recent years.