France's air force have launched fresh
strikes in northern Mali, targeting the city
of Gao which had been controlled by the
al-Qaeda offshoot MUJAO, destroying
rebel bases and forcing the fighters to
flee, residents told the AFP news agency.
The attack on Gao on Sunday, the largest
city in the desert region controlled
by fighters, marked a decisive
drive northwards on the third day of
French air strikes, moving deep into the
vast territory seized by rebels in April.
"There were dozens of strikes in and
around Gao. All Islamist bases have been
destroyed," a resident told AFP by
phone .
In a another attack on Sunday, the French
airforce attacked a camp used by jihadist
fighters and a weapons depot for
the rebel group Ansar Dine, officials and
residents said.
Witnesses said fighter jets struck the
camp in Lere, around 150km north of
Konna, a key central town that
government troops recaptured with
French aerial backing on Friday.
"The Lere camp, which was abandoned by
the Malian army and had been used by
the Islamists, was completely razed by air
raids," a local official said, speaking from
Mauritania where he took refuge.
Al Jazeera's Mohammed Adow, reporting
from the capital, Bamako, said authorities
claimed to have halted the rebel advance
but there had been civilian casualties.
"The mayor of Kono said that at least of
three of the dead were children who had
jumped into a river, as they tried to
escape the massive bombardment in the
area," Adow said.
The first days of the battle against rebels
holding Mali's north have left at least 11
civilians dead, including the three
children.
French air raids also struck weapons and
ammunition depots used by Ansar Dine, a
name that translates as Defenders of
Faith, a group whose leaders are
connected to Al-Qaeda in the Islamic
Maghreb.
Security sources speaking on condition of
anonymity said Sunday's air strikes also
hit targets near Douentza and Nampala.
France has intervened in Mali at Bamako's
request following a new offensive towards
the south by the rebels, who seized
control of the country's north in June.
African troops
Meanwhile, Togo has committed about
500 troops as part of an African force
being deployed to Mali, a military source
said on Sunday.
"Togo will send around 500 soldiers to
Mali as part of the designated African
force," the military official said on
condition of anonymity because he was
not authorised to speak publicly. "We are
actively preparing. They will leave soon."
He gave no further details on when the
troops would be deployed.
The UN Security Council has approved a
3,300-strong force to help Mali win back
its north. The force is to be commanded
by a Nigerian, with Nigeria pledging the
largest contribution at 600 troops.
Burkina Faso, Niger and Senegal on
Saturday each pledged 500 troops for the
force. Benin on Sunday said it was
sending around 300 personnel and that
they would be deployed alongside the
Togolese battalion.
The first African troops were expected in
the country on Sunday.
Some West African military personnel are
already on the ground, including a
technical team from the Nigerian air
force.
The United Nations had cautioned that a
military intervention needed to be
properly planned, and outlined a step-by-
step process that diplomats said would
delay the operation until at least
September of this year.
source
www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2013/01/2013113135531541470.html