Funeral services for Mali's slain defence minister to be held on Thursday

Mali’s slain defence minister Sadio Camara will be laid to rest on Thursday, the country’s military has announced.

The 47-year-old died on Saturday when a car bomb targeted his home in Kati. His wife and two granddaughters were also killed.

The attack was part of a two-day offensive launched by jihadist militants and Tuareg separatists against the ruling military junta and the Russian paramilitary fighters supporting it.

Camara was widely seen as the mastermind behind the junta’s pivot to Russia after it cut ties with its traditional Western allies, including former colonial power France.

Russia’s Africa Corps mercenaries have been supporting the junta in its fight against insurgents in the country’s north.

In an address to the nation on Tuesday, junta leader Assimi Goita paid tribute to a "valiant officer" whose "passage constitutes an immense loss" for Mali.

The government declared two days of mourning following Camara's death.