April 26 (UPI) — Several cities in Mali were attacked by militants associated with al-Qaeda affiliates and separatists this weekend in the largest military strikes there in more than a decade.

The attacks, which appear to have been coordinated, were conducted by the group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, known as JNIM, which has claimed credit for them, The New York Times, Al Jazeera and the Washington Post reported.

The group hit the cities of Kidal and Mopti, as well as key nearby military bases, on top of striking in the heart of Mali’s capital, Bamako.

The attacks represent an escalation in the conflict between the Mali army and the militant group, and included attacks on the homes of Mali’s president and defense minister.

“The General Staff of the Armed Fores informs the public that unidentified armed terrorist groups targeted certain locations and barracks in the capital and the interior early this morning … Fighting is ongoing,” the Mali military said in a statement on Saturday.

The group claimed after the attacks that it has taken “complete control” of the country and is promising a “real transformation” there, which included asking Russian-linked military groups to hold back from getting involved.

JNIM used car bomb and drones to conduct the attacks which experts said were aimed at bringing down the regime in Mali, which came to power in 2021 promising to boost security and enhance safety.