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Mali has entered a state of mourning following the assassination of Defence Minister Sadio Camara, who succumbed to injuries sustained in a suicide car bombing at his residence in Kati, a town near the capital, Bamako. This tragic incident marks a significant escalation in violence from insurgent groups, including the West African affiliate of al-Qaida, who orchestrated multiple attacks across the nation on Saturday.
A Coordinated Assault
The attack on Camara’s residence occurred amidst a series of coordinated strikes by militants, primarily involving the al-Qaida-affiliated Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM). According to government spokesperson Issa Ousmane Coulibaly, a suicide bomber drove an explosives-laden vehicle into the minister’s home, triggering a violent confrontation. Camara was later