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French-led forces seized control of an airport and a key bridge in Mali’s northern city of Gao on Saturday, making significant inroads into the Islamist stronghold.
French forces have taken control of the airport and a key bridge in the radical Islamist stronghold of Gao, the French defense minister said Saturday, marking a significant inroad into the heart of territory held by the al-Qaeda-linked extremists.
Twelve Islamist rebels have been killed in a shootout with Russian forces in Chechnya. Among the dead were two of the country’s most wanted militants.
Brothers Khusezn and Muslim Gakayev were accused of organising several high-profile attacks including one targeting the Chechen parliament in 2010.
French troops have engaged in close-quarter combat with Islamist fighters on Wednesday in the Malian town of Diabaly in the first ground clashes after days of air strikes, according to security forces.
Earlier, France’s army chief confirmed French troops have begun a ground offensive in Mali.
“The ground operation began several hours ago,” Admiral Edouard Guillaud told Europe 1 radio on Wednesday morning.
French forces on Sunday carried out airstrikes in Mali for a third straight day and extended their bombing campaign to the northern strongholds of Islamist forces they are trying to drive out of the centre of the country.
The strikes, designed to support Malian army efforts to push al-Qaeda-linked groups back to the north of the vast West African state, were reported to have claimed the life of a prominent Islamist leader and up to 100 rank-and-file fighters.
France launched airstrikes yesterday to help the government of Mali defeat al-Qaida-linked militants who captured more ground this week.
French President Francois Hollande said the “terrorist groups, drug traffickers and extremists” in northern Mali “show a brutality that threatens us all.” He vowed that the operation would last “ as long as necessary.”
France said it was taking the action in Mali at the request of President Dioncounda Traore, who declared a state of emergency because of the militants’ advance.