- Insurgents are pushed out of Konna, which they captured last week
- France is seeking help from its regional allies and the international community
- The European Union, Canada, Britain and Nigeria are among those assisting
- UNESCO wants protection of Mali's historic sites
Bamako, Mali (CNN) -- French and Malian forces squaring off with Islamist militants seized a key city from them on Friday, a high-ranking French source told CNN.
The city is Konna, located in the central region of Mali, a sprawling, landlocked Saharan nation. That region is the latest front in the grinding fight between the West and al Qaeda-linked militants.
The development is an important advance a week after France launched an air and ground military offensive against a strong militant presence across northern Mali and other locations in the sprawling country.
Insurgents advancing south toward the capital, Bamako, took Konna on January 10. They started retreating a week ago after the French and Malian forces pushed back, with air and fire power.
The fighting in Mali has captured the world's attention.
It was one of the most successful democracies in Africa until last year, when a coup toppled the president and Islamists capitalized on the chaos by establishing themselves in the north.
There, they imposed a strict interpretation of Sharia law, banning music, smoking, drinking and watching sports on television. They also damaged historic tombs and shrines.
France, once the colonial power in Mali, unleashed an offensive against the militants last week, a mission that President Francois Hollande says is designed to "destroy" the terrorist groups that have taken root.
France is sending troops to Mali from military facilities in Africa and from France. Paris is seeking help from its regional allies and the international community.
Such assistance has its perils. After Algeria permitted France to use its air space to take on insurgents, militants angry at the move stormed a gas field in eastern Algeria and took hostages in what is now an ongoing hostage crisis.
Leaders from several countries have offered troops or logistical support for the offensive.
The European Union has OK'd a training mission. The Canadians and British are deploying military transport aircraft. Nigeria is set to deploy soldiers as part of a U.N.-mandated African force to fight the insurgents.
U.S. policy prohibits direct military aid to Mali because the fledgling government is a result of a coup. No support can go to the Malian military directly until leaders are chosen through an election, said Victoria Nuland, a State Department spokeswoman.
"We are not in a position to train the Malian military until we have democracy restored," she said this week. "But we're not precluded from assisting allies and partners in trying to restore security to that country."
So far, the United States has only shared intelligence from satellites and intercepted signals with the French, defense officials said. The Pentagon is also considering sending refueling tankers so that French jets can fly longer, more sustained combat missions, according to the officials.
In addition, by this weekend, U.S. trainers will be in African nations to train forces that are set to be deployed in Mali, the State Department said.
The situation in Mali also has sparked concern over human rights.
The United Nations has noted accounts of amputations, floggings and public executions such as the July stoning of a couple who had reportedly had an affair. The International Criminal Court has launched a war crimes investigation amid reports that residents have been mutilated and killed for disobeying the Islamists.
The U.N. Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization has issued calls for the protection of cultural heritage sites in Mali.
The ancient city of Timbuktu is a UNESCO World Heritage site of huge cultural significance, but its carefully preserved heritage has come under severe threat amid the ongoing conflict.
The fabled city, whose names is sometimes used in the West as a synonym for a faraway place, was at the center of trans-Sahara trade in earlier times. Last year, al Qaeda-linked rebels in northern Mali destroyed historic and religious landmarks in there, claiming such relics are idolatrous. Now it is threatened by warfare.
"I ask all armed forces to make every effort to protect the cultural heritage of the country, which has already been severely damaged," UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova said in an appeal to all combatants.
"Mali's cultural heritage is a jewel whose protection is important for the whole of humanity. This is our common heritage, nothing can justify damaging it."
CNN's Joe Sterling reported and wrote from Atlanta. CNN's Ingrid Formanek and Nima Elbagir reported from Bamako, Mali
