Mali defence minister killed during major assault by insurgents

Mali's defence minister has been killed during co-ordinated attacks on towns and military bases by insurgents, including al Qaeda-linked fighters, according to the government.

General Sadio Camara's death was confirmed in a post by the defence ministry on social media, while state TV said a car loaded with explosives was driven into his home in the town of Kati, about 9 miles (15km) north of Mali's capital, Bamako.

Over the weekend, regional al Qaeda affiliate, Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, known ​as JNIM, along with the Azawad Liberation Front or FLA, a Tuareg-dominated rebel group, said they had carried out simultaneous attacks in more than half a dozen areas on Saturday, including the capital.

The separatists have been fighting for years to create an independent state in northern Mali, while al Qaeda and Islamic State-aligned militants have been battling the government for more than a decade.

A spokesperson for the FLA said the Russian Africa Corps troops and the Malian military withdrew from the city of Kidal following an attack on Saturday, after an agreement was reached for their peaceful exit.

Saturday's attacks were the first time the separatists joined forces with JNIM.

"This operation is being carried out in partnership with the JNIM, which is also committed to defending the people against the military regime in Bamako," said FLA spokesperson Mohamed El Maouloud Ramadan.

The separatists called on Russia to "reconsider its support for the military junta" in Mali, saying its "actions have contributed to the suffering of the civilian population".

Kidal was previously a stronghold of the rebellion before being taken by Malian government forces and Russian mercenaries in 2023. Its capture marked a significant, symbolic victory for the junta and its Russian allies.

While the exact fate of Kidal remains uncertain, General Oumar Diarra, head of the armed forces, confirmed on state TV that the Malian army had left the city and that troops were repositioning in Anefis, a city about 62 miles (100km) south of Kidal.

Saturday's strikes also hit near Bamako airport and further north, including Mopti, Sevare and Gao.

The government has said the assaults, which it described as terror attacks, appeared to be over.

Previously, it said civilian and military personnel were among 16 people wounded, but did not provide a figure for how many had died. It said several militants were killed.

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The Economic Community of West African States condemned Saturday's attacks in Mali and called for a "co-ordinated effort to combat this scourge".

The United Nations delivered a similar plea, adding that the secretary-general was "deeply concerned" and "strongly condemns these acts of violence".

(c) Sky News 2026: Mali defence minister killed during major assault by insurgents