US urges Americans to leave Mali immediately by commercial air

The U.S. Embassy in Bamako on Tuesday urged American citizens to leave Mali immediately by commercial air amid mounting militant attacks and a nationwide fuel shortage that have disrupted daily life and raised security risks. The advisory said overland travel to neighboring countries may be unsafe because of reported terrorist attacks along national highways and warned that the embassy’s ability to assist Americans outside the capital is limited.

"Persistent infrastructure challenges in Mali, including continued disruptions of gasoline and diesel supplies, the closure of public institutions such as schools and universities nationwide, and ongoing armed conflict between Malian government and terrorist elements around Bamako increase the unpredictability of Bamako's security situation," the embassy said in a statement. It added that Bamako’s international airport remains open and that flights are available for those departing by air.

The advisory follows an escalation in operations by Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, known by the acronym JNIM, an al-Qaida-linked militant group that announced a blockade on fuel imports in September. JNIM fighters have attacked convoys and set...