Car bomb targets Mali defense minister's home

A vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) detonated in front of the residence of Mali's Defense Minister, General Sadio Camara, in the town of Kati. The attack is part of a major nationwide offensive launched by the Al-Qaeda-linked Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) militant group. The explosion comes as JNIM and allied forces have seized multiple cities and military bases across the country, bringing them closer to the capital, Bamako.