Rebel checkpoints reported around Mali’s capital, northern town seized

Al-Qaeda-linked rebel fighters have set up checkpoints around Mali's capital, Bamako, and seized the town of Tessalit in the north. Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) has called on Malians to adopt Islamic law and bring down the junta. Rebel fighters have taken control of several military bases, including the Amachach base in Tessalit, and are reportedly regrouping and conducting reconnaissance in the region.