Bamako: Mali's government announced that Defense Minister Sadio Camara was killed after an attack targeted his residence, marking part of a series of coordinated assaults on military and civilian sites across the nation, including the capital city, Bamako.
According to Qatar News Agency, Issa Ousmane Coulibaly, a government spokesman, stated in a broadcast on state television that a car bomb driven by a suicide attacker struck Camara's residence in the town of Kati. A subsequent gun battle ensued, during which Camara was wounded and later succumbed to his injuries in a hospital.
In response to the escalating violence, the United Nations has called for an international intervention to address the rising terrorism threats in the Sahel region of West Africa. The large-scale attacks in Mali have intensified concerns about regional stability.
Earlier reports from the Malian Army indicated that armed groups had launched attacks on several military sites throughout the country. Local media detailed that the assaults were marked by heavy clashes and explosions in various areas, including the strategic Kati military camp, the area surrounding Modibo Keita International Airport, and the northern cities of Kidal and Gao, as well as Segou in central Mali.
Since 2012, Mali has been grappling with deadly attacks from armed groups, bandits, and criminal networks, with the violence extending to neighboring countries such as Burkina Faso and Niger.