In Mali, rebels have killed the pro-Russian defense minister
On Saturday, April 25, 2026, one of the largest rebel attacks in recent years took place in Mali. The country’s defense minister, General Sadio Camara, was killed in an attack on his residence in the garrison town of Kati.
This was reported by Al Jazeera.
According to intelligence reports, the attack took place at dawn. Militants from the JNIM group, linked to Al-Qaeda, used a car bomb driven by a suicide bomber.
The powerful explosion almost completely destroyed the residence building. Sadio Camara’s death was confirmed by several sources within Mali’s security forces, although the authorities refrained from making official statements for some time.
Sadio Camara was considered one of the key figures in the military junta and a leading advocate for cooperation with Russian security forces in the country.
The report also notes that the Russian “African Corps” (previously linked to the Wagner Group) has suffered losses in the region.
In the Gao region, rebels shot down a Mi-35 helicopter used by Russian forces. Reports indicate that the crew and a fire support team were killed.
The situation in the country remains tense amid intensified fighting by various armed groups.
As a reminder, in Mali, armed groups simultaneously attacked military facilities in the capital, Bamako, and several other cities across the country, leading to fighting, explosions, and panic among military personnel and civilians. The attacks appeared coordinated and affected several regions at once.
In central Mali, near the city of Nampala, more than ten Malian soldiers and Russian mercenaries were killed in a premeditated ambush.
