MALI’S defence minister was killed in a sweeping attack by jihadis and rebels who seized several towns and military bases, authorities said on Sunday.

The Malian government confirmed the death of the defence chief, general Sadio Camara, in a post on the Defence Ministry’s Facebook page. Media sources have reported that he was killed during a suicide bombing on his residence.

Mali was struck on Saturday by one of the largest co-ordinated attacks on its army in the capital, Bamako, with several other cities and towns also targeted.

The government said on Sunday that the attacks appear to be over, but several questions remain, including the overall death toll, and who was in control of a key northern city that the separatists claim to have taken.

The separatists have been fighting for years to create an independent state in northern Mali, while al-Qaida and Isis-aligned militants have been fighting the government for over a decade.

According to the government statement, Mr Camara’s residence was targeted by a suicide car bomber and other attackers on Saturday.