Mali Defence Minister Sadio Camara was killed in an attack by Al Qaeda-linked terror 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 JNIM and Tuareg-led separatists 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 has urged an international response to rising violence and terrorism in the Sahel region of West Africa following large-scale attacks on Saturday.
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“The Secretary-General is deeply concerned by reports of attacks in several locations across Mali. He strongly condemns these acts of violence,” a UN spokesperson posted on X.
JNIM and Tuareg-led separatists have claimed responsibility for coordinated attacks near Mali’s capital Bamako as well as in gold-producing regions and other parts of the country, marking one of the most audacious operations yet in their ongoing campaign against the government.