Following militants assaults on several cities the army also recovered equipment, officials have said

Malian security forces eliminated more than 200 terrorists nationwide and seized significant quantities of equipment, Malian Chief of General Staff Oumar Diarra said on state TV on Sunday night.

On Saturday, militantscarried outattacks on Bamako, Kati, Gao, Sevare, and Kidal. The operations were claimed by the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) together with the Tuareg-led Azawad Liberation Front (FLA). The coordinated strikes focused on military installations, critical infrastructure, and high-ranking officials, but were halted by Malian forces.

"During the operation ... the enemy was routed, and this response was consistent with the threats and attacks organized by the terrorists," Diarra said, adding that "more than 200 terrorists were neutralized."

Authorities also confirmed that Defense Minister General Sadio Camara died from injuries sustained after a suicide car bombing hit his residence amid the wave of attacks.

Meanwhile, the Africa Corps operating under Russia's Defense Ministry reported that it had assisted Malian forces, stressing that the attack "has been thwarted."

Regional and international reactions followed, with Burkina Faso's interim president Ibrahim Traore saying that the Alliance of Sahel States condemned what he described as "ignoble, cowardly, and barbaric acts" against a sovereign country, emphasizing they would not undermine the region's resolve to live "free, in peace, and with dignity."

The Turkish Foreign Ministry stated that it "strongly condemns" the incidents reported on April 25 across Mali.

The Chinese Embassy in Mali said it "expresses its deep sorrow" over the death of Sadio Camara and "strongly condemns the terrorist attacks," offering "deepest condolences" to the victims.

The Russian Embassy in Bamako echoed the criticism, calling the assaults "cowardly attacks" aimed at destabilizing the state, while Moscow's Foreign Ministry voiced "deep concern," warning the actions pose a "direct threat" to Mali's stability.

The Russian Foreign Ministry added that preliminary data points to the possible involvement of Western security services in training the attackers. Earlier this year, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused France of "attempting to overthrow undesirable nationalist governments" in the Sahara-Sahel using "outright terrorist groups" and "colonial methods."

After Mali expelled French forces in 2022, Burkina Faso and Niger followed suit, accusing Paris of providing direct support to terrorists.

Former Nigerian presidential candidate Victor Okhai, commenting to RT on the developments, suggested Western involvement, pointing in particular to France and describing the situation as "a fight back," adding it was "an attempt to come back by whatever means necessary."

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(RT.com)