KATI — Colonel Sadio Camara was killed during coordinated attacks on military sites across Mali carried out by an al-Qaeda affiliate and Tuareg rebels. His residence in the garrison town of Kati came under a suicide car bomb assault as fighters from the al-Qaeda-linked Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) and Tuareg fighters from the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) launched simultaneous strikes.

Kati lies about 15km northwest of the capital, Bamako, and is home to interim President Assimi Goita. Goita was in a secure location when the attack took place and remains in command of the military.

Camara was a central figure in the military government that seized power after back-to-back coups in 2020 and 2021. Correspondent Nicolas Haque said, "He was one of the most influential figures within the ruling military leadership and had been seen by some as a possible future leader of Mali." Haque also said, "His death is a major blow to the country's armed forces."

Gunmen also attacked several other locations across the country, including Bamako, Gao, Kidal, and Sevare. Residents in Kidal reported sounds of heavy gunfire and loud explosions on Sunday.

Analyst Bulama Bukarti said it was likely that "more battles for control of territory and strategic locations" would happen in the coming days. He pointed to cooperation between the two armed groups. "They came together last year and said they would work together going forward, and what we have seen over the last few days is the actual implementation of this agreement," Bukarti said.

"Kati is considered one of the most secure locations in the country, yet fighters from the al-Qaeda-linked Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), along with Tuareg fighters from the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), were able to launch the attack," Haque said. He added, "This remains an ongoing operation more than 24 hours after it began."

The African Union condemned the attacks, as did the secretary-general of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the United States Bureau of African Affairs.