Mali has been plunged into fresh turmoil following the death of Defence Minister Sadio Camara, who was killed alongside members of his family in a car bomb attack on his residence in Kati, just outside the capital, Bamako.

The attack, which also claimed the lives of his second wife and two grandchildren, comes amid escalating violence across the country. Coordinated assaults launched on Saturday by Tuareg rebels from the Azawad Liberation Front coalition and jihadist fighters from the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) targeted multiple regions, marking one of the most intense offensives in recent months.

Fighting continued into Sunday in key areas including Kati, Kidal, Gao and Sévaré, placing Mali’s ruling military junta under increasing pressure as insecurity spreads closer to the capital.

In the north, Tuareg rebels claimed full control of the strategic city of Kidal and announced an agreement allowing Malian troops and their Russian allies to withdraw. Witnesses reported seeing military convoys leaving the area, while armed groups moved in to take over the streets.