Mali President Absent After Coordinated Attacks

Insurgents in Mali have attacked a military base and the residence of a minister. The specific minister targeted and the outcome of the attacks were not immediately clear. This incident is part of ongoing unrest following an alliance between jihadists and Tuareg groups. The Malian Defense Minister was killed in the attack. The attack involved jihadist and Tuareg forces, indicating a potential alliance. Mali's Minister of Defense was killed in a jihadist attack. The Sahel States Alliance, comprising Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, issued a statement on the evening of the 26th expressing solidarity with Mali. Jihadists from the GSIM and separatists from the FLA now control the northern city of Kidal. In Kati, near Bamako, gunfire has ceased, but many residents remain wary after two days of fighting. The attacks targeted strategic positions of the ruling junta. Heavy fighting occurred in Kati, and residents remain wary.