Mali: French forces headed to Timbuktu
French forces, backed by US logistical support, headed for the mystical town of Timbuktu on Sunday, scattering the remaining al-Qaeda backed rebels seeking to create a new Afghanistan in the desert nation of Mali.
Saturday, the French military’s website reported the capture of Gao, the last major town held by the Islamists.
French warplanes bombed the area, and destroyed the home of an Islamist leader, Agency France Press reported.
“There were air raids on Islamist bases in Kidal,” 940 miles north of the capital of Bamako, a source told AFP, adding that the home of Ansar Dine (Defenders of the Faith) chief Iyad Ag Ghaly was destroyed. He is an ex-Malian army soldier.