Live streams

French Planes Bomb Rebel Positions in Mali

This picture released by the French Army Communications Audiovisual office shows French aircraft flying to N'Djamena overnight January 11 to 12, after taking off from Nancy.

TEXT SIZE - +

Lisa Bryant

January 13, 2013

PARIS — France attacked Islamists targets in Mali for the third straight day on Sunday, bombing an key northern town held by the extremists.

French fighter jets bombed the northern Malian town of Gao, even as West African troops were due to arrive to help Bamako beat back an Islamist insurgency.

In a television interview, French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said the air raids would continue Monday.

Le Drian said roughly 400 French soldiers have been deployed to Bamako, to ensure security and protect French and European nationals. More French troops were dispatched to the town of Mopti, about 500 kilometers north of the capital.

Launched Friday, the attacks aim to eradicate an Islamist insurgency that was making inroads to the south last week, after capturing vast chunks of territory in northern Mali. France says the Islamists not only threaten Mali and surrounding countries, but also Europe.

Paris has also notched up its terrorism alert, underscoring concerns extremists may launch retaliatory attacks in the city and against more than half a dozen French hostages held by Islamists in West Africa.

News reports describe Bamako as calm, with some cars sporting French flags. The offensive has earned praise in Europe and West Africa.

Residents in Gao say the Islamists who occupied their town and imposed Islamic Sharia law have fled. Interviewed on French radio, the town's mayor, Diallo Sadou, hailed the French attacks.

Sadou thanked France for its courage to have launched the offensive, and said he hoped God was protecting the French hostages.

One French soldier has died since the French airstrikes began Friday. The Malian government says at least 11 of its soldiers have been killed and another 60 injured.

You May Like

A South Korean man watches a TV news reporting missile launch conducted by North Korea, at a Seoul Train Station in Seoul, South Korea, May 18, 2013.

North Korea Launches Short-Range Missiles into Sea

South's Defense Ministry says it detected two launches Saturday morning, followed by another in afternoon More

Scientists Race to Contain Malaria: New Discoveries, More Resistance

World Health Organization is warning about dire consequences if drug-resistant form of malaria spreads beyond southeast Asia More

U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel (L) and Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey hold a joint news conference at the Pentagon in Washington, March 17, 2013.

US: Russian Missile Shipments to Syria 'Very Unfortunate'

Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Martin Dempsey, says missiles will embolden Assad and prolong suffering in Syria More

This forum has been closed.

Comment Sorting

Comments

by: Rocksaldt from: US

January 13, 2013 8:44 PM

Report Comment

Wow, no reports of civilian casualties. That has got to be a first! Oh, wait, major outlets rarely report civilian casualties

by: Terek from: KAVKAZ

January 13, 2013 1:43 PM

Report Comment

In other news 2 French choppers downed 1 pilot killed in Mali, 2 French special forces and 1 French spy killed in Somalia, 88 French troops killed in Afghanistan.
French are bad warriors, they had Napoleon but even he was from the Caucasus, he also relied on his Mamluk warriors who were from the Caucasus too.

by: fugetaboutit from: michigan

January 13, 2013 1:08 PM

Report Comment

hope we don't help

Republish This Story

French Planes Bomb Rebel Positions in Mali

<h1>French Planes Bomb Rebel Positions in Mali</h1><img src="http://www.voanews.com/App_Themes/VOA_en-US/img/colorLogo.gif"/>France attacked Islamists targets in Mali for the third straight day on Sunday, bombing an key northern town held by the extremists. French fighter jets bombed the northern Malian town of Gao, even as West African troops were due to arrive to help Bamako beat back an Islamist insurgency. In a television interview, French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said the air raids would continue Monday. Le Drian said roughly 400 French soldiers have been deployed to Bamako, to ensure security and protect French and European nationals.  More French troops were dispatched to the town of Mopti, about 500 kilometers north of the capital. Launched Friday, the attacks aim to eradicate an Islamist insurgency that was making inroads to the south last week, after capturing vast chunks of territory in northern Mali.  France says the Islamists not only threaten Mali and surrounding countries, but also Europe. Paris has also notched up its terrorism alert, underscoring concerns extremists may launch retaliatory attacks in the city and against more than half a dozen French hostages held by Islamists in West Africa. News reports describe Bamako as calm, with some cars sporting French flags.  The offensive has earned praise in Europe and West Africa. Residents in Gao say the Islamists who occupied their town and imposed Islamic Sharia law have fled.  Interviewed on French radio, the town's mayor, Diallo Sadou, hailed the French attacks. Sadou thanked France for its courage to have launched the offensive, and said he hoped God was protecting the French hostages. One French soldier has died since the French airstrikes began Friday.  The Malian government says at least 11 of its soldiers have been killed and another 60 injured.     <link rel="canonical" href="http://www.voanews.com/content/french-plane-bomb-rebel-positions-in-mali/1583004.html"/><meta name="syndication-source" content="http://www.voanews.com/content/french-plane-bomb-rebel-positions-in-mali/1583004.html"/><img src="http://livetracker.voanews.eu/counter.lt?PageType=256&RecordId=1583004&SiteId=415&r=1947412989&it=0&pd=20130113174133&url=ArticleID1583004" alt="" style="border:none;" height="1" width="1">