The attacks were the largest in nearly 15 years and saw two former foes — jihadists and Tuareg separatists — join forces against the ruling junta and its Russian paramilitary backers, analysts say.

The Tuareg rebels took control of Kidal, a town in the country’s mostly desert north, during the attacks, with the security situation on Tuesday unclear in other areas.

Defence Minister Sadio Camara was killed in two days of fierce fighting between the army and Tuareg rebels of the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) allied with the Al-Qaeda-linked jihadist Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM).

Simultaneous attacks hit the towns of Kidal and Gao in the north, Sevare in the centre and Kati, on the outskirts of the capital Bamako, home to several senior junta officials.

Camara’s home was targeted by a car bomber, the government said.

Sky Mali was temporarily suspending domestic flights to and from the northern town of Gao and Mopti in central Mali, the company said in an overnight statement on Tuesday.

“The safety of our passengers, our crews and our operations remains our top priority,” the airline added.

Gao lies around 350 kilometres (218 miles) south of Kidal, a pro-independence stronghold which has been seized by the Tuaregs following the weekend attacks.

The rebels claim to have taken control of several positions in the Gao region.

Central Mali, where Mopti is located, was also targeted and the security situation remained unclear on Tuesday.

Two loud blasts were heard late on Monday near the airport area on the outskirts of the capital Bamako, an AFP journalist said.

The cause of the blasts could not immediately be identified.

“We are still wondering what it was. It wasn’t an exchange of gunfire and the explosions were coming from the area of Base 101 at the airport,” a resident told AFP.

The airforce base was targeted in the attacks on Saturday.

Surveillance drones could be heard early on Tuesday in the same area.

“We heard explosions and gunfire during the night but it didn’t last,” another resident said.

– History of conflict –

The west African country has grappled with more than a decade of violence.

The attacks are reminiscent of a crisis that rocked Mali in 2012, when Tuareg rebels joined forces with jihadists to capture strategic hubs in the country’s vast, remote north.

The offensive was repelled by forces from former colonial ruler France, who have since left the Sahel country.

The alliance between the jihadists and Tuareg rebels eventually unravelled as they turned on each other, and the jihadists drove the Tuareg separatists out.

The latest attacks are the result of a new alliance forged a year ago.

Although the two groups have different goals, according to experts, they are united against a common enemy — the military junta that has ruled since 2020 and its Russian paramilitary backers.

After seizing power in 2020, junta chief General Assimi Goita pledged to combat the jihadists and initially promised a return to civilian rule in Mali, which has gold and other valuable minerals.

Thousands of people have died in attacks in Mali since the jihadist turmoil erupted and tens of thousands of Malians have sought refuge in neighbouring countries, including Mauritania, in recent years.