article_snippet: Though it's unclear whether any rebel group is responsible for the attack in the capital of Bamako, Malian forces have battled Islamist militants in the northern part of the nation for years.
article_snippet: Mali plunged into chaos after soldiers staged a coup three years ago.
article_snippet: As a result, Tuareg fighters capitalized on the power vacuum to launch an insurgency that ended with Tuareg fighters takeover of the north.
article_snippet: After Tuareg fighters seized the region, a power struggle erupted with local Islamist radicals.
article_snippet: local Islamist radicals toppled the tribe and seized control of a large piece of northern Mali, an area the size of France.
article_snippet: Since then, the nation has battled various rebel factions, mostly in the region, with the help of French and African forces.