Mali's Defense Minister, General Sadio Camara, was killed when attackers struck his residence in Kati, near the capital Bamako, following a wave of coordinated assaults across the country on Saturday.

The 47-year-old minister died during an attack at his compound in the heavily guarded garrison town of Kati, about 15 kilometres north of Bamako, a government spokesperson confirmed on state television on Sunday.

A truck loaded with explosives was driven into the residence during the initial wave of violence.

The assaults targeted multiple locations, including Bamako's international airport, the northern cities of Gao and Kidal, and the central town of Sevare.

The al-Qaeda-affiliated group Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) and the Tuareg-led Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) claimed joint responsibility, marking the first time the separatist group has publicly operated alongside jihadists.

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

During the attacks, military leader General Assimi Goïta was evacuated to a secure location. Another senior general was wounded and treated at a clinic in Bamako.

Government spokesperson General Issa Ousmane Coulibaly said 16 people were wounded, including civilians and soldiers, and that several militants were killed. No full casualty toll has yet been released.

International condemnation

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres strongly condemned the violence.

"The Secretary-General is deeply concerned by reports of attacks in several locations across Mali," a UN spokesperson said. Guterres also called for an international response to rising terrorism in the Sahel region.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) also denounced the assaults and urged regional unity against the threat.

The attacks mark a significant escalation in Mali's ongoing conflict. Security has deteriorated sharply in recent years, with record numbers of militant operations.

Government forces have faced repeated accusations of civilian killings during counter-insurgency operations.

In 2024, an al-Qaeda-linked group claimed responsibility for an attack on Bamako's airport and a military camp that killed around 70 people.

Mali will observe two days of national mourning, the government announced.