Mali’s military leader, Assimi Goïta, has assumed the role of defence minister following the death of Sadio Camara in a suspected suicide bombing during a wave of coordinated attacks.

A decree read on state television said Goïta would replace Camara as defence minister.

The army chief of staff, General Oumar Diarra, will serve as minister delegate for defence, according to the report, which called the move a "strategic decision in a sensitive security context".

Former defence minister Camara was killed when a suicide attacker drove an explosive-laden car into his house.

The country remains in a security crisis more than a week after an alliance of jihadists and separatist rebels launched their nationwide raids. The offensive, led by the Azawad Liberation Front and the al-Qaeda-linked JNIM, has deepened Mali's security crisis. The insurgents have since imposed a partial blockade on Bamako and other cities. The Malian authorities said they had arrested a group of soldiers allegedly linked to the offensive.