Authorities in Mali say the capital Bamako is "under control" following an early morning attack on Tuesday in which shots were fired at a gendarmerie building and a military zone near the city’s airport.

Qaeda-linked jihadist group on Tuesday claimed responsibility for an attack in Mali's capital Bamako, the first such operation in years which saw them temporarily take control of part of the international airport.

STORY: Mali said on Tuesday (September 17) that the capital Bamako was under control after an attack by insurgents on a gendarmerie training school and others areas of the city.In a statement, the army said "mopping-up operations are underway".

An Al-Qaeda-linked jihadist group today claimed responsibility for an attack on a military airport and training centre in Bamako, the first attack of its kind in years to hit the Malian capital. The Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM) group said on its communication channels that a to describe jihadists and separatists in the north of the country.

Extremists attacked a military training camp in Mali’s capital on Tuesday, the army said, as explosions were heard in the area. Within hours, the government said it was temporarily closing the airport in Bamako.

Mali, along with its neighbors Burkina Faso and Niger, has for over a decade battled an insurgency fought by armed groups. Following military coups in all three nations in recent years, the ruling juntas have expelled French forces and turned to Russian mercenary units for security assistance instead.