Junta-ruled Mali has been gripped since 2012 by violence from jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group as well as community and criminal groups.

The attackers tried to force their way into the military camp and shells were launched at the airport, which is two kilometres (just over a mile) from the city, the city governor's office said.

The situation is "under control", it added on social media.

"We are dealing with terrorists attacking Timbuktu. We are fighting back," a military source told AFP.

"The camp in the city centre has been attacked," the source added.

According to a security source, the attackers "are everywhere in the city" and operations in the army camp "are already over".

"They did not raid the airport because the Russians are there. But they launched shells. It's hot everywhere," the source added.

A local official said the "terrorists" arrived in Timbuktu "with a vehicle packed with explosives".

"The vehicle exploded near the (military) camp," the official said.

UN staff were instructed in a message "to take shelter" and "stay away from windows" due to "shooting in the city of Timbuktu".

A resident reported having heard "heavy gunfire in the city" which "seems to come from the side of the (military) camp".

A local journalist speaking by telephone said "the city is under fire".

"This morning our city was attacked by terrorist groups. Shots were heard near the military camp and the airport. We all returned home," he said.

The ancient city of Timbuktu, once known as the "city of 333 saints" for the Muslim holy men buried there, was subject to major destruction while under the control of jihadists for several months in 2012.

The jihadists who swept into the city considered the shrines idolatrous and destroyed them with pickaxes and bulldozers.

The fabled desert city was peacefully retaken in late January 2013 with the support of French military forces under Operation Serval, deployed to halt the jihadists' advance in Mali.

Since seizing power in coups in 2020 and 2021, Mali's military rulers have broken the country's traditional ties with its former colonial power France and moved closer to Russia.

Jihadist groups and the Malian army and its allies from the Russian paramilitary group Wagner are regularly accused of committing abuses against civilians.

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