[8][5][9] The attacks came amid political tensions brought about by the reelection of President Julius Maada Bio in June 2023 which was disputed by the opposition and raised concerns from the United States and the European Union.

[10] At around 4:30 in the morning[9] of 26 November 2023, a group of militants attacked the military armoury at the Wilberforce barracks in Freetown, Sierra Leone,[4][5] close to the presidential residence.

[6] Later the same morning, they broke into Central Pademba Road Prison in Freetown, releasing nearly its entire population of 1,890 inmates after the security forces retreated from the area.

[11] Interior minister David Taluva said that the militants had attacked a police barracks and seized weapons from officers after running out of ammunition.

[2][19][17] Sierra Leone's civil aviation authority said the country's airspace remained open but asked airlines to reschedule their flights after the curfew is lifted.

[9] On 28 November, gunfire was reported in Murray Town, with authorities saying that it was part of a successful operation to capture a person of interest in the attacks.

[2] It added that three attackers, one police officer, one prison guard, one civilian woman and a private security employee were also killed, placing the total death toll at 21.

One of the militants, patrolling on a stolen police vehicle near the Wilberforce barracks, claimed their intent to "clean the society", and asserted not being after ordinary civilians.

Sierra Leonean police chief Fayia Sellu said Koroma was a suspect in the coup attempt, and the government confirmed his statement on 12 December.

[29] On 17 January, Koroma was allowed by the High Court to leave Sierra Leone and seek medical treatment in Nigeria until April.

[31] On 9 August, a court-martial convicted 24 soldiers of participating in the coup and sentenced them to prison terms reaching up to 120 years, the last of which was given to the most senior-ranking defendant, Lieutenant Colonel Charles James Mishek Yamba.

[32] ECOWAS condemned the attacks, issuing a statement of "zero-tolerance for unconstitutional change of government" on 26 November and calling the incident an attempt to disrupt Sierra Leone's constitutional order.