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Rebel assault on strategic Mali garrison town of Gao | |
(40 minutes later) | |
Tuareg rebels in Mali have attacked the strategic northern garrison town of Gao with heavy weapons, hours after another town, Kidal, fell to them. | |
Two army helicopters were scrambled in response, a local official told AFP news agency by phone. | |
Gao, with a population of 87,000, more than twice the size of Kidal, hosts one of the biggest garrisons in the north. | |
Separatist rebels seeking to carve out a desert homeland began a rebellion in the west African state in January. | Separatist rebels seeking to carve out a desert homeland began a rebellion in the west African state in January. |
'People running' | |
"We can hear heavy fire coming in the direction of the main military camp," a Reuters reporter said. | |
"People here are running all over the place and all the shops are closing." | "People here are running all over the place and all the shops are closing." |
Mahamane Diakite, an aide to the governor of Gao, told AFP: "We can hear heavy weapons fire. We have also seen two helicopters taking off to shoot. Rebels have entered the town." | |
Mali's government forces have struggled to drive back the rebels. Mid-ranking officers in the military overthrew the government this month, saying the army needed more equipment to fight. | |
Coup leader Capt Amadou Sanogo has asked for foreign help to tackle the rebels but his coup has been condemned, with neighbouring states threatening sanctions. | Coup leader Capt Amadou Sanogo has asked for foreign help to tackle the rebels but his coup has been condemned, with neighbouring states threatening sanctions. |
Three members of the military leadership have gone to neighbouring Burkina Faso for talks with President Blaise Compaore, who is mediating in the crisis. | |
The regional body, the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas), has said it will close land borders, freeze Mali's assets and impose a financial blockade if the army does not stand aside before Monday. | The regional body, the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas), has said it will close land borders, freeze Mali's assets and impose a financial blockade if the army does not stand aside before Monday. |
They have also placed a peacekeeping force on standby. | They have also placed a peacekeeping force on standby. |
The Tuareg fought side by side with Islamist fighters to take over Kidal, the BBC's Thomas Fessy reports from Dakar. | |
However, it is not clear how they will share their success, our correspondent says. | |
Rebels from the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) want an independent north while a smaller, Islamist group called the Ansar Edine wants to impose Sharia law. | |
Azawad is the Tuareg name for their home region in the Sahara Desert. | |
Tuaregs have launched several rebellions over the years, complaining that the government in Bamako ignores them. |