Mali’s defence minister reported dead in major weekend assault

Mali Defence Minister Sadio Camara was killed in an attack by al Qaeda-linked group JNIM on his residence at the Kati military base outside Bamako on Saturday, France’s RFI radio reported on Sunday.

Attacks continued on Sunday, a day ⁠after an al Qaeda affiliate and Tuareg rebels carried out one of the largest coordinated attacks in the country in recent years, as gunfire rang out in a garrison town near Mali’s capital, a Reuters witness said.

The United Nations called for an international response to violence and terrorism in the West Africa Sahel region following Saturday’s large-scale assaults.

“The Secretary‑General is deeply concerned by reports ⁠of attacks in several locations across Mali. He strongly condemns these acts of violence,” a U.N. spokesperson posted on X.

An al Qaeda affiliate and Tuareg rebels claimed responsibility for the coordinated attacks around ⁠the capital, Bamako, in gold-producing areas and elsewhere across Mali, in one of the boldest operations insurgents have mounted in their campaign against ⁠the military-led government.

The final toll of deaths and injuries remained unclear on Sunday, as did the fate of the contested ⁠city of Kidal, which the insurgents claimed to have recaptured from government forces in the assault.

Source: Reuters

--Agencies