Islamist militants have lost more ground in northern Mali, with French and Malian troops taking the city of Timbuktu, and secular Tuareg rebels announcing they have seized the city of Kidal.A spokesman for Tuareg rebel group MNLA said Monday that the group's fighters now control Kidal and the nearby town of Tessalit. There has been no independent confirmation of the claim.
Meanwhile, French media reports say French and Malian troops entered central Timbuktu on Monday, a day after they seized the local airport and the key roads that lead to the historic city.
The U.N. cultural agency UNESCO lists Timbuktu as a World Heritage site for its ancient mosques and shrines, some of which date back to the 15th century. But Islamist group Ansar Dine considers the sites sacrilegious, and the militants destroyed some mausoleums while they controlled the city.
Map of Mali
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Map of Mali
Meanwhile, French media reports say French and Malian troops entered central Timbuktu on Monday, a day after they seized the local airport and the key roads that lead to the historic city.
The U.N. cultural agency UNESCO lists Timbuktu as a World Heritage site for its ancient mosques and shrines, some of which date back to the 15th century. But Islamist group Ansar Dine considers the sites sacrilegious, and the militants destroyed some mausoleums while they controlled the city.
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Map of Mali