Mali's army said in a statement that seven of its positions in the west had been targeted in "coordinated attacks carried out very early this morning", while residents and a local politician confirmed the attacks in at least four towns.

"We woke up in shock this morning. There's gunfire, and from my house I can see smoke billowing towards the governor's residence," one Kayes resident told AFP. "The gunfire is intense."

A police source additionally reported that "jihadists in pickup trucks" had been attacking the Kayes military camp since the early morning.

"As a precaution, we left our shelter located not far from the camp. There's still shooting," he said.

A local political official, Sekou Niame Bathily, wrote on Facebook that "the region of Nioro woke up in shock" and that the towns of Nioro, Sandare and Gogui had sustained attacks.

Since 2012, Mali has faced attacks from groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group as well as separatist movements and criminal gangs.

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