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After bloody conflict, Mali FM to visit Turkey to boost ties

April 4, 2013 14:05
Malian Foreign Minister Tieman Hubert Coulibaly is scheduled to visit Ankara at the invitation of his Turkish counterpart, Ahmet Davutoglu, at the weekend to have talks on bilateral relations and ways to rebuild the war-torn country. A statement released on Wednesday by the Turkish Foreign Ministry said Davutoglu and the visiting minister will discuss the latest developments in Mali and bilateral issues between the two nations. Ankara said it welcomes Mali parliament's resolution to install a roadmap on Jan.

Fighting erupts after car bombing in Mali

April 3, 2013 11:47
Malian soldiers backed by French fighter jets battled Islamist rebels in Timbuktu on Sunday after insurgents used a car bomb as cover to infiltrate the northern desert town, sources said. The French-led offensive in Mali has pushed a mix of Islamists out of their northern strongholds and remote mountain bases but the militants have hit back with several suicide attacks and guerilla-style raids. At least one Malian soldier was killed and four injured in Sunday's fighting in the ancient Saharan trading hub 1,000 km (600 miles) north of the capital Bamako, according to a Mali gove

EU troops begin Mali training mission

April 2, 2013 10:00
The EU began a top-to-toe overhaul of Mali's ragtag army on Tuesday to help its soldiers take the place of foreign troops defending the west African nation against an Islamist insurgency. The first of four battalions arrived in Koulikoro, 60 kilometres (37 miles) from the capital Bamako, to train under battle-hardened European instructors as part of a wider effort to bring the army up to scratch as quickly as possible.

Three Mali Islamists killed in Timbuktu 'clean-up' raid

April 1, 2013 12:01
At least three Islamists were killed in Timbuktu on Monday during a sweep by French and Malian soldiers after a deadly weekend battle in the fabled Saharan city, a military source said. "During our clean-up operation, the Mali and French armies destroyed a public building in the centre of town where the terrorists were hiding. We have found the bodies of three terrorists," the Malian military source told AFP. Some gunfire was heard in the city on Monday but residents slowly emerged after having barricaded themselves in during fighting on Sunday.

Mali troops sweep Timbuktu for Islamists after deadly battle

April 1, 2013 08:45
Malian troops swept Timbuktu for remaining Islamist fighters on Monday after a weekend battle that left seven people dead and saw France send in fighter jets. Some gunfire was heard on Monday but the fabled Saharan city was mostly calm, and residents began to emerge from their homes after barricading themselves in when the fighting broke out. The militants used the confusion created by a suicide bomber late on Saturday to infiltrate the city and engage French and Malian troops in a day-long battle that left four more rebels, a soldier and a civilian dead.

Mali troops sweep Timbuktu for Islamist rebels after battle

March 31, 2013 22:30
Malian troops swept Timbuktu for remaining Islamist fighters after a weekend battle that left seven dead and forced France to dispatch reinforcements and fighter jets to help Mali's army. By late Sunday relative calm had been restored, after Islamist militants used the chaos created by a suicide bombing Saturday night to infiltrate the city and engage French and Malian troops in a day-long battle that left four more rebels, a soldier and a civilian dead. "For the moment it's calm in Timbuktu. We have the situation under control," a Malian officer told AFP.

Clashes erupt in Timbuktu, 2 jihadists killed: Mali army

March 31, 2013 08:45
Malian troops backed by French forces on Sunday clashed with Islamist fighters who had infiltrated the northern city of Timbuktu, leaving two jihadists dead and four Malian soldiers wounded, a Malian army officer said. "Jihadists have infiltrated the centre of Timbuktu... Our men are currently fighting them with the support of a unit of our French partner," the Malian officer told AFP by telephone. "Two jihadists have been killed and four Malian soldiers have been injured. That's the provisional toll," the officer said, adding the fighting "is not yet over".

Mali troops hunt for rebels after Timbuktu clash

March 31, 2013 08:45
BAMAKO (Reuters) - Malian troops searched house-to-house in Timbuktu on Monday morning following hours of fighting with Islamist rebels who had infiltrated the northern desert town. Residents said calm had returned by late Sunday after heavy clashes and airstrikes by French fighter jets backing the Malian troops forced them to shelter indoors. The fighting reflected the difficulty of securing Mali after a French intervention in January that pushed the rebels out of their northern strongholds.

Gunfire as Malian army combs Timbuktu for jihadists

March 31, 2013 07:30
Heavy gunfire erupted Sunday in Timbuktu as Malian troops were combing the city for infiltrated jihadists following a suicide attack, a military source and residents said. The Islamist fighters who had controlled the fabled Saharan city before French and Malian soldiers recaptured it in January have been able to blend into the population to launch attacks. "Our men have since Sunday morning been firing in central Timbuktu in a sweep for jihadists who infiltrated on foot and on bicycles," a Malian officer told AFP.

Suicide blast in Timbuktu after mine kills two Mali troops

March 31, 2013 00:00
A suicide bomber blew himself up Saturday in the northern Malian city of Timbuktu, raising fears of a new wave of violence by Islamist insurgents after a separate land mine blast killed two soldiers. An army officer said a Malian soldier had been wounded in the suicide attack at an army barricade in Timbuktu, the fabled Sahara caravan city's second in nine days.
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