Originally posted by the Voice of America.
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                    Mali Troops, Islamists Clash in Timbuktu

   Malian soldiers backed by French forces battled with Islamist militants
   in Timbuktu Sunday after the insurgents used a car bombing as cover to
   sneak into the town overnight.
   Malian officers told the media that the fighting is ongoing with French
   planes circling overhead, and that so far, at least three Malian
   soldiers have been wounded. It is unclear how many rebels were in the
   town.
   Residents of Timbuktu tell VOA that the fighting is not far from their
   homes, and that some civilians have been wounded by stray bullets. They
   say that they are staying indoors as the clashes continue.
   On Saturday, a suicide bomber attacked a military barricade at an
   entrance to Timbuktu, wounding one soldier. The attack came hours after
   a Malian armed forces vehicle drove over a land mine, killing two
   soldiers.
   Mali has been the target of a series of attacks claimed by Islamist
   insurgents since France launched a military intervention against
   al-Qaida-linked groups that had seized northern Mali. France began its
   operation in Mali in January.
   French President Francois Hollande has said France plans to begin
   pulling its troops out of northern Mali in April.
   Analysts warn a French withdrawal could leave northern Mali vulnerable
   to a renewed militant takeover. The Malian army was not able to fight
   the militants on its own. However, a multi-nation African force being
   assembled needs more training and equipment to protect Malian towns.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/mali-troops-islamists-clash-in-timbuk
   tu/1632058.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/mali-troops-islamists-clash-in-timbuktu/1632058.html