Mali experienced a significant escalation of conflict with coordinated jihadist attacks on Saturday, April 25, leading to the death of Defense Minister Sadio Camara. His residence in Kati, a heavily fortified town situated 15 kilometers northwest of the capital Bamako, was struck by a suicide truck bombing. The attack tragically claimed the lives of Camara, his second wife, and two grandchildren. Concurrently, General Assimi Goïta, who leads the ruling junta that has governed Mali since coups in 2020 and 2021, was also targeted at his Kati residence. Although no official statement was immediately released, reports from Al Jazeera's Nicolas Haque confirmed Goïta is "alive and well in a secure location" after being evacuated.

Defense Minister Camara was described by Haque as "one of the most influential figures within the ruling military leadership" and a "possible future leader of Mali," underscoring the gravity of his assassination. The Saturday offensive demonstrated a wide-ranging, coordinated strategy, with strikes hitting both military and urban targets from the northern regions of the country all the way to Bamako. According to Yakubu Mohammed of Premium Times, the rebel groups involved in this extensive offensive included the al-Qaeda affiliate Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) and the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), a prominent Tuareg-dominated rebel alliance.

The intensity of the conflict continued into Sunday with renewed clashes in Kidal, located in northern Mali. These confrontations pitted the Tuareg-led FLA, supported by fighters from the JNIM, against the Malian army, which was reportedly backed by Russian elements. Representatives of the FLA later announced an agreement that facilitated the withdrawal of Russian Africa Corps soldiers from Kidal, a city that the FLA now claims to fully control. A local resident corroborated parts of this account, telling AFP that they observed a military convoy departing, though unable to specify the exact circumstances, and confirmed that armed group fighters are currently occupying the streets of Kidal.