Mali’s Defence Minister, Sadio Camara, has been killed following a series of coordinated terrorist attacks that struck multiple military and strategic targets across the country.
State media confirmed that Camara died after attackers targeted his residence in Kati, a major military town near the capital, Bamako. Reports said members of his family were also among the casualties.
The attacks, carried out on Saturday, hit several locations including Bamako, Kati, Gao, Sevare, Mopti and Kidal, marking one of the most extensive offensives in Mali in recent years.
Responsibility for the assaults was reportedly claimed by Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an al-Qaeda-linked militant group, working alongside the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), a separatist Tuareg alliance.
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Witnesses reported loud explosions, gunfire, and clashes around military installations, while airports were temporarily disrupted and emergency security measures imposed in affected areas.
Malian authorities said counter-operations were underway and claimed security forces had repelled several assaults, though the full casualty toll has not yet been independently verified.
Camara was a key figure in Mali’s military-led government and played a central role in the country’s post-coup leadership and shifting defence alliances in recent years. His death is expected to deepen uncertainty in a nation already battling jihadist insurgency and political instability.
Regional and international observers have expressed growing concern that the latest violence could further destabilise the Sahel region, where extremist attacks have surged over the past decade.
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