Bamako

French planes pound terrorist camps in north Mali desert

French warplanes pounded Islamist rebel camps in the far north of Mali on Sunday, military sources said, a day after French President Francois Hollande was hailed as a saviour during a visit to the West African country. Thierry Burkhard, spokesman for the French army in Paris, said the overnight raids targeted logistics bases and training camps used by the al Qaeda-linked rebels near the town of Tessalit, close to the...  

France in 'direct combat' in Mali within hours

French troops pressed northward in Mali toward territory occupied for months by militants on Wednesday, military officials said, announcing the start of a land assault that will put soldiers in direct combat "within hours." French ground operations began overnight in Mali, said Adm Edouard Guillaud, the French military chief of staff. ...  

France bombs Islamist stronghold in north Mali

French fighter jets pounded an Islamist rebel stronghold deep in northern Mali on Sunday as Paris poured more troops into the capital Bamako, awaiting a West African force to dislodge al Qaeda-linked insurgents from the country's north. The attack on Gao, the largest city in the desert region controlled by the Islamist alliance, marked a decisive intensification on the third day of French air raids, striking at the heart of...