Russian forces helped Bamako repel coordinated militant raids on key cities and military sites

Mali's defense minister, General Sadio Camara, has died of his injuries after a shootout with militants following a suicide car bombing that targeted his residence during a wave of coordinated terrorist attacks across the West African country, the transitional government has confirmed.

Camara, who served as minister of state, minister of defense and veterans affairs, died of injuries sustained during Saturday's assault on his home in Kati, a garrison town near the capital, Bamako. The government said his residence was struck by a vehicle bomb driven by a suicide attacker, after which Camara exchanged fire with the assailants and "neutralized" some of them before being wounded.

The attack caused part of the residence to collapse, killing or injuring others nearby and destroying a mosque where worshippers were inside, according to the government statement.

READ MORE: Mali hit by wave of coordinated terrorist raids

Mali suffered one of the most serious security incidents in years on Saturday, with near-simultaneous attacks reported in Bamako, Kati, Gao, Sevare, and Kidal. The Al-Qaeda-linked Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, or JNIM, and the Tuareg-dominated Azawad Liberation Front, or FLA, claimed responsibility for the coordinated raids, which targeted military sites, key infrastructure, and senior leadership positions.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said "preliminary data" points to the possible involvement of Western security services in training the attackers. Earlier this year, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused France of "attempting to overthrow undesirable nationalist governments" in the Sahara-Sahel using "outright terrorist groups" and "colonial methods."

Russia has a military presence in the West African country, which has been reeling from terrorist threats for years despite a decade-long French military mission. Mali expelled French forces in 2022, followed later by Burkina Faso and Niger, accusing Paris of providing direct support to terrorists.

The Africa Corps unit, operating under the purview of the Russian Defense Ministry, said it helped prevent a coup d'etat over the weekend. It said it provided air support along the 2,000-km front line, preventing the seizure of key facilities, including the presidential palace in Bamako. According to the unit, militant casualties exceeded 1,000, with more than 100 vehicles destroyed.

General Camara was one of the most influential figures in Mali's ruling security establishment and a key architect of Bamako's turn away from French-led security cooperation. Authorities said he would receive a national funeral.