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Mali Defence Minister Killed in Car Bomb Attack
Mali's Defence Minister Sadio Camara has died after an attack on his home. A suicide attacker drove a car bomb into his house in Kati, Mali.
Reports say Camara was hurt in the blast and later died in hospital. His second wife and two grandchildren were also killed.
Kati is a heavily protected military town about 15km from Bamako. Mali's interim leader also lives there.
The attack was part of strikes across several cities including Bamako and Gao. Two insurgent groups carried out the attacks together.
One was the West African branch of al-Qaida known as JNIM. The other was a Tuareg separatist group called the Azawad Liberation Front.
Sources say this was the first time the two groups joined forces. Separatists also claimed to have taken control of the city of Kidal. Camara was a key figure in Mali's military government.
Klear Note — Mali has faced armed conflict for years involving militant groups and separatists. JNIM is a terrorist group linked to al-Qaida. These groups rarely work together, making this attack significant.
Key Terms 5
- Kati
- A heavily protected military town 15km from Mali's capital Bamako
- JNIM
- West African branch of al-Qaida operating in the Sahel region
- Tuareg separatists
- Armed group seeking independence for the Azawad region of northern Mali
- Junta
- A military group that took power by force rather than by election
- Kidal
- A city in northern Mali with major symbolic importance to the military government