The combat of the French Army in rugged Sahara Desert mountains is growing harder, and there's a rising threat that the militants will turn to suicide bombings, hostage-taking and other guerrilla tactics. The French military struck at Islamist militants dug in along the remote, rocky mountain ranges of northern Mali over the last week, killing scores, a French military spokesman said Friday, March 1, 2013.
Monday, March 4, 2013, 04:55 PM

French Air Force operations continue in Mali with more than 90 missions including nearly thirty dedicated to air strikes and 35 strategic transport missions for the support of ground forces. These air strikes have enabled to destroy several rebel targets.
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Wednesday, February 13, 2013, 11:07 AM

After the seize of Tessalit airport, Friday, February 8, 2013, by French Special Forces parachuted in the area, a new airborne operation was conducted by French Army, Saturday, February 9, 2013, from Abidjan to parachute engineer paratroopers, vehicles, and equipment to repair Tessalit airport trackway.
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Sunday, February 10, 2013, 11:39 AM

French army soldiers of Special Forces were parachuted on the city of Tessalit during the the night of Friday, February 8, 2013, to take the control of the airport. Followed by an air assault of paratroopers of the 1er RCP (1st Parachute Chasseur Regiment) to strengthen the Special Forces, and secure the airport.
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Saturday, February 9, 2013, 06:18 AM

French AMX-10RCR 6x6 reconnaissance armoured vehicles and CAESAR 155mm self-propelled howitzers of French Army have left the city of Niamey, capital of Niger, Thursday, January 31, 2013, to join their operation area in the region of Gao, located more than 400 km of Niamey.
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Friday, February 8, 2013, 11:55 AM

Some 1,800 Chadian soldiers have entered Kidal, the last major town in northern Mali under rebel control, the French military says. French-led forces captured Kidal's airport last week but have not yet secured the town itself. The French soldiers meanwhile continue control of the airport thanks to the reinforcement of two sections of paratroopers from the 1e RCP (1st Parachute Chasseur Regiment).
Tuesday, February 5, 2013, 09:29 PM

French armed forces launched several air strikes, Saturday, February 2, 2013, overnight in the country's northern region which has been in hands of Islamist rebels since 10 months, spokesman for the French army said Sunday, February 3, 2013. Thirty jets targeted Islamist militants' training and communication centres around Tessalit - a mountainous area near the Algerian border.
Monday, February 4, 2013, 08:54 AM

After a successful three-week operation, French troops are close to recapturing all the key northern towns previously held by the rebels. They took Timbuktu and Gao over the weekend. Early on Wednesday, January 31, 2013, they secured the airport in the desert town of Kidal, meeting no resistance, but were prevented from entering the town itself because of a sandstorm.
Friday, February 1, 2013, 11:50 AM

During the night from 29 to 30 January 2013, French troops have taken control of the airport in the northern Malian town of Kidal, the last rebel stronghold in the north, according to the French army and a local official.
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Thursday, January 31, 2013, 06:07 AM

Tuesday night, January 29, 2013 the French armed forces force in Mali assumed control over the airport of the city of Kidal, which has been under the radical Islamists’ control until recently. This has been confirmed by an official of the Touareg National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad, which reported this Monday about the liberation of Kidal from Islamic fighters.
Wednesday, January 30, 2013, 08:13 AM

After the capture of the airport of Timbuktu and the city Gao by French armed forces Sunday and Monday, January 28, 2013, the two strategic locations are now strengthened by units of the Malian army. French Special Forces continue to secure the area around the Timbuktu airport to restore air traffic and for the support of ground forces.
Tuesday, January 29, 2013, 09:21 AM

French army spokesman Colonel Thierry Burkhard has announced, on Monday morning, January 28, 2013, French soldiers of the 2e REP (2nd Foreign Legion Parachute Regiment) were parachuted into strategic points overnight to prepare the way for Malian forces to recapture Timbuktu from Islamist rebels.
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Monday, January 28, 2013, 01:00 PM

Malian and French soldiers have captured Timbuktu airport, Sunday, January 27, 2013, as they continue to retake territory from al-Qaeda-linked rebels in northern Mali. A Malian military source said the French and Malian troops had met no resistance up to the gates of Timbuktu and controlled the airport. Positions around the airport Gao were reinforced by an armored unit of the 21st RIMa and African soldiers from Niger and Chad. Monday, January 28, 2013, 08:59 AM

Over the past 36 hours, the French armed forces involved in the operation Serval and many Malian troops have led air-land operations that helped seize the airport and the bridge in the city of Gao and destroy several Islamist terrorist groups.
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Sunday, January 27, 2013, 11:06 AM

French forces have taken control of the airport and a key bridge in the radical Islamist stronghold of Gao, the French defense minister said Saturday, marking a significant inroad into the heart of territory held by the al-Qaida-linked extremists.
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Saturday, January 26, 2013, 03:52 PM

French-led forces who had recaptured the town of Diabaly on Monday, January 21, 2013, were pushing towards the town of Lere with the aim of "taking control of Timbuktu" which lies further north. The French army launched a major offensive to capture the city of Timbuktu.
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Saturday, January 26, 2013, 01:46 PM

Malian officials said government forces have recaptured Hombori, about 160 km southwest of Gao, on Friday, January 25, 2013, and add, an offensive against Gao could take place in the next few days. On Friday, January 25, 2013, Islamist extremists based in the Malian town of Ansongo destroyed a bridge near the Niger border, officials said.
Saturday, January 26, 2013, 10:21 AM

French-led Malian soldiers have recaptured the northern town of Hombori which leads to the Islamist stronghold of Gao, residents and security sources said on Friday, January 25, 2013. "At present, Malian and French soldiers are in Hombori. There are no longer any Islamists on the ground," a local teacher said. A Malian security source said the forces were proceeding towards Gao.
Friday, January 25, 2013, 02:25 PM

France has carried out air strikes during night of Thursday, January 24, 2013, on Asongo in Mali, just 80 kilmometres south of the Islamist stronghold of Gao. The capital Bamako has been secured, but the rebels still hold the major northern towns of Timbuktu and Gao.
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Friday, January 25, 2013, 09:12 AM

French Air Force continue air strikes against Islamist ground targets near Diabaly and Konna. According to information from the newspaper website LesEchos.fr, France could deploy four Leclerc main battle tanks to strengthen military operations in Mali.
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Thursday, January 24, 2013, 09:27 AM

A column of Chadian soldiers moved north from Niger’s capital Niamey on Tuesday, January 22, 2013, to join French and African forces battling to free northern Mali from the grip of armed Islamic groups.
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Wednesday, January 23, 2013, 06:10 PM

France has decided to further increase its military power for the operation Serval in Mali. Since Sunday, January 21, 2013, the 92° Infantry Regiment of French Army equipped with the latest generation of armored infantry fighting, the VBCI is on the way to Mali by sea. According to some unconfirmed French sources, the 68e artillery regiment equipped with 155mm self-propelled gun CAESAR had received orders to prepare a deployment to Mali. Wednesday, January 23, 2013, 08:46 AM

The French Ministry of Defence confirmed that the cities of Diabaly and Douentza are now under the control of the Malian troops since Monday morning, January 21, 2013. Malian armed forces supported by the French soldiers based in Niono and Mopti-Sévaré have recaptured the cities. Cities occupied by the Islamist rebels are located respectively from 400 and 800 km northeast of the capital Bamako.
Tuesday, January 22, 2013, 10:30 AM

French forces have continued to advance towards the north of Mali. During the night of January 20,2013, French soldiers with armoured vehicles ERC 90 Sagaie took positions in the towns of Mopti and Sevaré. To the West, a combat group stationed in the city of Markala since January 16, was extended around Nionno, always supported by Malian armed forces.
Monday, January 21, 2013, 09:14 AM

French air forces have carried out three attacks on rebel positions and French forces are advancing towards Mali's Islamist-held north after taking up positions in the towns of Niono and Sevare, a spokesman for the French military operation Serval said Sunday, January 20, 2013.
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Sunday, January 20, 2013, 07:19 PM