Islamists In Northern Mali

Suspected Islamist terrorist attacked a UN peacekeepers' base in the northern Mali town of Kidal today, killing several people and wounding others, a spokesman for the separatist Coordination of Azawad Movements (CMA) told Reuters.

Al-Qaeda's north Africa affiliate has claimed the kidnapping of a Swiss woman in Mali's Timbuktu in a video seen by AFP on Wednesday, as Switzerland demanded her unconditional release.

Gunmen killed 10 civilians in an attack on the village of Gaberi in northern Mali, army spokesman Souleymane Maiga said on Sunday, a day after a deadly siege by suspected Islamist gunmen at a hotel northeast of the capital.

French special forces killed two key jihadist leaders in a raid in Mali, one of whom has been linked to the kidnapping and execution of foreigners, the defence ministry said Wednesday.

French special forces today rescued a Dutch national kidnapped nearly four years ago in northern Mali by AQIM Islamists in an operation that killed a number of suspected jihadists, officials said.

An attack overnight in northern Mali by a pro-government armed group including suicide bombers killed a dozen people, security sources said Wednesday.

Suspected Islamist militants attacked a UN base in northern Mali with car bombs and rockets on Saturday, killing one Chadian member of the UN peacekeeping mission and wounding another, the mission said.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon has urged the immediate cessation of the renewed violence in northern Mali, which threatens to destabilise the country again.

French Special Forces have killed the second-in-command of the veteran Islamist commander Mokhtar Belmokhtar in an operation in Mali's northern region of Tessalit, security sources said on Thursday.

Heavy clashes in northern Mali have left at least 50 rebel fighters and a French soldier dead, officials said Sunday, following reports that two top Islamist militants were killed in recent days.

French warplanes attacked an Islamist base in north Mali at the weekend, wounding four members of the Arab Movement of the Azawad (MAA), after the extremists clashed with Tuareg rebels, MAA and security sources said on Monday.

Five people, including two suicide bombers, died on Friday in car bombings in northern Mali, a day after fierce urban battles between French-led forces and Islamists left up to 20 extremists dead, officials said.

An explosion shook the largest city in northern Mali early on Monday, hours after Islamist gunmen battled French and Malian troops following two straight days of suicide bombings.

Malian troops foiled a second suicide bomber attack in the northern town of Gao late on Saturday, highlighting fragile security in zones recaptured by a French-led offensive that is hunting Islamist insurgent bases further north.

An Islamist suicide bomber blew himself up in northern Mali on Friday, the first such attack in the country, while rival factions of the Malian army clashed in the capital Bamako.

Suspected Islamist terrorist attacked a UN peacekeepers' base in the northern Mali town of Kidal today, killing several people and wounding others, a spokesman for the separatist Coordination of Azawad Movements (CMA) told Reuters.

Al-Qaeda's north Africa affiliate has claimed the kidnapping of a Swiss woman in Mali's Timbuktu in a video seen by AFP on Wednesday, as Switzerland demanded her unconditional release.

Gunmen killed 10 civilians in an attack on the village of Gaberi in northern Mali, army spokesman Souleymane Maiga said on Sunday, a day after a deadly siege by suspected Islamist gunmen at a hotel northeast of the capital.

French special forces killed two key jihadist leaders in a raid in Mali, one of whom has been linked to the kidnapping and execution of foreigners, the defence ministry said Wednesday.

French special forces today rescued a Dutch national kidnapped nearly four years ago in northern Mali by AQIM Islamists in an operation that killed a number of suspected jihadists, officials said.

An attack overnight in northern Mali by a pro-government armed group including suicide bombers killed a dozen people, security sources said Wednesday.

Suspected Islamist militants attacked a UN base in northern Mali with car bombs and rockets on Saturday, killing one Chadian member of the UN peacekeeping mission and wounding another, the mission said.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon has urged the immediate cessation of the renewed violence in northern Mali, which threatens to destabilise the country again.

French Special Forces have killed the second-in-command of the veteran Islamist commander Mokhtar Belmokhtar in an operation in Mali's northern region of Tessalit, security sources said on Thursday.

Heavy clashes in northern Mali have left at least 50 rebel fighters and a French soldier dead, officials said Sunday, following reports that two top Islamist militants were killed in recent days.

French warplanes attacked an Islamist base in north Mali at the weekend, wounding four members of the Arab Movement of the Azawad (MAA), after the extremists clashed with Tuareg rebels, MAA and security sources said on Monday.

Five people, including two suicide bombers, died on Friday in car bombings in northern Mali, a day after fierce urban battles between French-led forces and Islamists left up to 20 extremists dead, officials said.

An explosion shook the largest city in northern Mali early on Monday, hours after Islamist gunmen battled French and Malian troops following two straight days of suicide bombings.

Malian troops foiled a second suicide bomber attack in the northern town of Gao late on Saturday, highlighting fragile security in zones recaptured by a French-led offensive that is hunting Islamist insurgent bases further north.

An Islamist suicide bomber blew himself up in northern Mali on Friday, the first such attack in the country, while rival factions of the Malian army clashed in the capital Bamako.