Mali: France steps up air strikes in Mali’s Islamist-held north for a third straight day
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.
Witnesses said French fighter jets on Sunday struck a camp used by Islamist militants in Lere, around 150 kilometres (95 miles) north of Konna, a key central town which government troops recaptured with French aerial backing on Friday.