Mauritania
Islamists claim 41 hostages at Algerian gas field
Jan 16, 2013 11:15 EST
Islamists are holding 41 foreigners hostage, including seven Americans, after an attack on a gas field in eastern Algeria, a spokesman for the militants told two Mauritanian news websites.
French troops in combat with Mali Islamists
Jan 16, 2013 08:58 EST
French troops engaged in close combat with Islamist rebels on Wednesday in Mali as Al-Qaeda-linked fighters attacked a gas plant in neighbouring Algeria taking several foreigners hostage.
French troops to face Mali Islamists 'within hours'
Jan 16, 2013 07:45 EST
French troops will be in direct combat against Islamist fighters in Mali within "hours", the country's army chief said Wednesday, as France's ground forces pushed north towards rebel-held territory in the six-day old offensive.
French ground troops head north to oust Islamists
Jan 16, 2013 06:15 EST
France's ground troops in Mali advanced Wednesday towards the Islamist-held north in a bid to flush out jihadist fighters after days of air strikes, as the first Nigerian contingent of a regional force was expected to deploy.
French troops in Mali heading north: defence minister
Jan 16, 2013 03:54 EST
French ground troops deployed in Mali are pushing north towards Islamist-held territory, Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Wednesday, admitting operations were proving "very difficult" in some areas.
French ground troops prepare to battle Mali Islamists
Jan 16, 2013 00:43 EST
The first troops from a multinational African intervention force were expected in Mali Wednesday as French soldiers drove out to face Islamist fighters in the north, in their first operation.
French ground troops prepare to battle Mali Islamists
Jan 15, 2013 23:19 EST
French soldiers drove out for their first ground offensive against Islamic insurgents in Mali, with Nigerian troops for the multinational African intervention force expected to arrive Wednesday.
Islamists retreat in Mali to regroup
Jan 15, 2013 18:19 EST
Caught off guard by France's fierce offensive against their bases, Islamists occupying northern Mali have fled into the vast desert to regroup and plot their next move, experts said Tuesday.
French ground troops ready to battle Islamists
Jan 15, 2013 15:01 EST
French ground forces prepared to engage in Mali for the first time Tuesday to drive Islamists out of the town of Diabaly, which they seized a day earlier, while a first lot of regional troops headed to join the offensive.
African troops bound for Mali as France battles Islamists
Jan 15, 2013 12:31 EST
The first troops from a regional West African force were bound for Mali on Tuesday to shore up a five-day old French military offensive that has uprooted Islamist insurgents from several key strongholds.
Nearly 150,000 Mali refugees, 230,000 displaced: UN
Jan 15, 2013 10:54 EST
The conflict in Mali has caused nearly 150,000 people to flee the country, while about another 230,000 are internally displaced, the UN humanitarian agency said Tuesday.
African troops bound for Mali as France strikes Islamists
Jan 15, 2013 08:46 EST
The first African troops were bound for Mali on Tuesday to shore up a five-day old French military offensive that has sent Islamist insurgents fleeing from their northern strongholds.
France strikes new Mali town, boosts troop numbers
Jan 15, 2013 07:48 EST
French warplanes hit a town newly-seized by Islamists in Mali on Tuesday as African troops prepared to join the offensive which has sent the jihadists fleeing from their northern strongholds.
Hollande: 750 French troops in Mali and more on way
Jan 15, 2013 06:35 EST
France's President Francois Hollande Tuesday said 750 French troops have joined the Mali offensive and their numbers will be boosted, on a visit to the Gulf overshadowed by the crisis in the African state.
France sends more troops as UN backs Mali intervention
Jan 15, 2013 03:00 EST
A contingent of 750 French troops has joined the offensive against Islamist rebels in Mali, French President Francois Hollande said in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday after France secured fresh UN backing for its military action.
UN backs French military intervention in Mali
Jan 15, 2013 01:41 EST
France secured fresh UN backing for its military action in Mali and reinforced its ground forces with an armoured column after driving Islamists from their northern bases with air strikes.
Islamists flee French air strikes in Mali
Jan 14, 2013 21:28 EST
French air strikes forced Islamist guerrillas to flee towns in northern Mali and Paris secured new international support for military action as the militants struck back, seizing a small western town.
Mali Islamists flee bases, battered by French airstrikes
Jan 14, 2013 16:35 EST
Islamist fighters in Mali fled their key bases as they were pounded by a fourth day of French airstrikes on Monday, seizing a small town in the government-held south and vowing revenge attacks on France.
Algiers okays French strikes in Mali after rebel 'betrayal'
Jan 14, 2013 15:20 EST
Traditionally hostile to foreign interference, Algiers has thrown its support behind operations in Mali against Islamist forces in a surprise about-turn that saw it open its skies to French warplanes.
Mali Islamists push south, threaten France amid new strikes
Jan 14, 2013 14:24 EST
Islamist forces on Monday seized control of a town in a fresh attack on Mali's government-held south and vowed to strike "at the heart" of France as it waged a fourth day of airstrikes against them.
