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| Mali hit by 'first' suicide bombing since French-led mission against rebels | Mali hit by 'first' suicide bombing since French-led mission against rebels |
| (30 days later) | |
| A suicide bomber has attacked a checkpoint in northern Mali, killing himself in the first known assault of its kind since the French military intervention against Islamist rebels. | A suicide bomber has attacked a checkpoint in northern Mali, killing himself in the first known assault of its kind since the French military intervention against Islamist rebels. |
| A Malian military officer said the bomber struck on Friday near Gao, a Saharan city recently recaptured from the rebels. | A Malian military officer said the bomber struck on Friday near Gao, a Saharan city recently recaptured from the rebels. |
| The attacker approached on a motorbike and blew himself up at the Bourem checkpoint, lightly wounding a soldier, the officer told Reuters. | The attacker approached on a motorbike and blew himself up at the Bourem checkpoint, lightly wounding a soldier, the officer told Reuters. |
| In further violence underscoring faultlines in the Malian military, soldiers from a unit allied with the leader of last year's military coup fought against members of the former presidential guard at their base in the capital, Bamako. | In further violence underscoring faultlines in the Malian military, soldiers from a unit allied with the leader of last year's military coup fought against members of the former presidential guard at their base in the capital, Bamako. |
| Smoke rose from the base, where mutinous members of the red beret paratrooper unit loyal to the deposed president Amadou Touré started firing their weapons to protest against attempts to reassign some of them. Witnesses described a concerted effort by a green beret unit allied with the coup leader, Captain Amadou Sanogo, to take the camp. | Smoke rose from the base, where mutinous members of the red beret paratrooper unit loyal to the deposed president Amadou Touré started firing their weapons to protest against attempts to reassign some of them. Witnesses described a concerted effort by a green beret unit allied with the coup leader, Captain Amadou Sanogo, to take the camp. |
| "The soldiers arrived in armoured cars and pickup trucks, all of them armed to the teeth to attack our base. The women and children tried to stop them from entering the camp. They shot teargas at us and started shooting volleys in the air," said Batoma Dicko, a woman who lives in the military camp. | "The soldiers arrived in armoured cars and pickup trucks, all of them armed to the teeth to attack our base. The women and children tried to stop them from entering the camp. They shot teargas at us and started shooting volleys in the air," said Batoma Dicko, a woman who lives in the military camp. |
| The fighting in Bamako occurred while French and Chadian troops hunted Islamist rebels hundreds of miles to the north in the second phase of a French-led military operation insurgents allied to al-Qaida. | The fighting in Bamako occurred while French and Chadian troops hunted Islamist rebels hundreds of miles to the north in the second phase of a French-led military operation insurgents allied to al-Qaida. |
| Since a military coup in March last year that plunged Mali into chaos and led to the occupation of the north by Tuareg and Islamist rebels, paratroopers loyal to Touré had been largely sidelined and some arrested. | Since a military coup in March last year that plunged Mali into chaos and led to the occupation of the north by Tuareg and Islamist rebels, paratroopers loyal to Touré had been largely sidelined and some arrested. |
| "The chief of staff had taken a disciplinary measure against some of the paratroopers, and some of them were not happy with the decision so they woke up this morning and started shooting," a Malian defence ministry official said. | "The chief of staff had taken a disciplinary measure against some of the paratroopers, and some of them were not happy with the decision so they woke up this morning and started shooting," a Malian defence ministry official said. |
| France and its western allies are pushing for a national political settlement and democratic elections to stabilise the situation in the west African state, where interim civilian leaders have faced interference from Sanogo and other junta officers. | France and its western allies are pushing for a national political settlement and democratic elections to stabilise the situation in the west African state, where interim civilian leaders have faced interference from Sanogo and other junta officers. |
| In May, Sanogo's troops said they put down a counter-coup attempt led by paratroopers that led to several days of fighting in which at least 27 people were killed. | In May, Sanogo's troops said they put down a counter-coup attempt led by paratroopers that led to several days of fighting in which at least 27 people were killed. |
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