Tuareg rebels in control of key Mali town after attacks - Africa - World

In Mali, in the Sahel region, on 27 April 2026, Tuareg rebels took control of the northern town of Kidal after what the Associated Press described as the largest coordinated attack by militants and rebels in over a decade. Mali's defence minister, named as Sadio Camara by Gulf News, was killed in the assault, and Mali announced mourning.

Russian forces withdrew from Kidal, and WION reported that a Russian helicopter was shot down. An al Qaeda group said the Mali army quit a northern town as the insurgency spread. Mali's authorities spoke of an attempt by radicals to seize power, according to TASS. France 24 called the attacks a very hard blow for Mali's government, and Egypt denounced them and called for stepped-up counterterrorism efforts.