Mali’s defense minister, General Sadio Camara, was killed in a car bomb attack on his residence near the capital, Bamako, according to government sources and international news agencies.
The attack occurred Saturday whereas Camara was at his home inside a military base in Kati, a town just outside Bamako. French news agency AFP reported that the minister died alongside several family members when a vehicle-borne explosive detonated at his residence, causing near-total destruction of the building.
Radio France Internationale confirmed the killing on Sunday, citing sources close to the situation. Witnesses told Reuters they heard sustained gunfire in Kati on Sunday, indicating fighting continued into a second day despite military claims of having restored control.
The bombing is part of a broader wave of coordinated assaults launched by armed groups across Mali, including factions linked to al-Qaeda and Tuareg rebels. Officials described the attacks as some of the most significant the country has faced in recent years.
In northern Mali, Tuareg fighters allied with al-Qaeda announced they had reached an agreement calling for the withdrawal of Russian forces from the town of Kidal, further complicating the security landscape.
The killing of a sitting defense minister in such a high-profile attack underscores the deepening instability in Mali, where jihadist insurgencies and ethnic tensions have challenged state authority for over a decade. The developments raise concerns about the potential for further escalation and the impact on regional security efforts in the Sahel.
