Mali's Defence Minister, General Sadio Camara, was killed Saturday during a series of coordinated assaults across the West African nation. According to government spokesperson Issa Ousmane Coulibaly, a suicide attacker drove a car laden with explosives into Camara's residence in the garrison town of Kati, located near the main army base outside Bamako. A firefight ensued following the explosion, and Camara later died in a hospital. The government has declared two days of mourning.
The attack on the Defence Minister was part of a wider, complex operation staged by Tuareg rebels and an al-Qaeda affiliate, specifically the group JNIM. The forces joined together to launch simultaneous strikes against military sites, government leaders, and major cities, marking some of the most serious and boldest fighting to rock the Sahel nation in over a decade. Jihadi and rebel forces reportedly seized various towns and military bases throughout the country.
Military activity was reported in multiple northern cities, including fighting in Kidal. In the capital, helicopters buzzed over Bamako and the international airport, while clashes broke out at a nearby military base. The ruling junta has suffered a major blow from the surge in violence, though the Malian army stated it has killed several hundred assailants.