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.
"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 offensive against the government.
Tuareg-led separatists announced an agreement allowing Russian forces to withdraw from the northern town of Kidal, which they claimed was "totally" under their control.
A Kidal resident told AFP that they have witnessed “a military convoy leave, but don't know the details of what's happening ... Fighters from armed movements have now taken over the streets."
The final toll of deaths and injuries remained unclear on Sunday, as did the fate of the contested city of Kidal, which the Tuareg-led separatists claimed to have captured from government forces in the assault.
