Overview
- JNIM and the Tuareg-led FLA mounted synchronized strikes across Mali on Saturday, with explosions near Bamako's airport, heavy fire in Kati, and residents sheltering in Sevare, Gao and Kidal.
- Mali confirmed Defense Minister Sadio Camara died after attackers hit his Kati home, and authorities set a three-night curfew in the Bamako district.
- The FLA says it retook Kidal and reported a deal that let Russian Africa Corps troops leave a besieged camp on the city's edge.
- The army said it had control and counted 16 injured, but witnesses described ongoing gunfire in Kati on Sunday and explosions in Gao during sweeps.
- The UN and ECOWAS condemned the violence, signaling wider alarm over a conflict that has persisted since 2012 despite the junta's pivot from Western support to Russian backing.