French Malian soldiers have pushed back the rebels who has infiltrated the city Timbuktu 0104131

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Defence & Security News - Mali
 
 
Monday, April 1, 2013, 10:41 AM
 
French and Malian soldiers have pushed back the rebels who has infiltrated the city of Timbuktu.

Malian soldiers backed by French fighter aircraft have battled rebels in Timbuktu after they used a car bomb as cover to infiltrate the northern desert city, sources say. A Malian soldier and three rebel fighters were believed to have been killed in Sunday's fighting in the ancient Saharan trading hub 1,000km north of the capital Bamako.
     
Malian soldiers backed by French fighter aircraft have battled rebels in Timbuktu after they used a car bomb as cover to infiltrate the northern desert city, sources say. A Malian soldier and three rebel fighters were believed to have been killed in Sunday's fighting in the ancient Saharan trading hub 1,000km north of the capital Bamako.
French army soldiers with armoured vehicles VAB and VBL arrive in the city of Timbuktu to help Malian troops to fight the rebels infiltrated in the city.
     

During the night of March 30 to 31, 2013, in the city center of Timbuktu, terrorist groups have infiltrated the city, especially near the Malian armed forces barracks.

On the morning of March 31, the Malian soldiers still fighting the terrorists. At 09h00 in the morning, French soldiers based at the airport came with armoured vehicles VAB and VBL to support the Malian troops. Two Mirage 2000 and then two Rafale fighter aircraft were also involved in supporting this military action but without any use of weapons.

One French soldier was wounded this action. He was transferred by helicopter to the French military hospital in Gao, his life is not in danger.

A Mali government communique issued on Sunday, March 31, 2013, evening said at least one Malian soldier was killed and four others had been injured.

It said that 21 rebels were killed in the fighting.

"It started after a suicide car bombing around 2200 (2200 GMT on Saturday), that served to distract the military and allow a group of jihadists to infiltrate the city by night," Captain Modibo Naman Traore of the Malian army said.

France launched its intervention in Mali in January to halt an advance by northern al-Qaeda-linked fighters towards Bamako.

The ongoing attack reflects the challenge of securing Mali as France prepares to reduce its troop presence and hand over to the ill-equipped Malian army and a more than 7,000-strong regional African force.