French forces led an all-night aerial bombing campaign to wrest control of a small Malian town from armed extremists, as more troops arrived in preparation for a possible land assault. A convoy of 40 to 50 trucks carrying French troops crossed into Mali from Ivory Coast.
French president Francois Hollande launched an attack on Mali’s rebels, who are linked to al-Qaeda, last week after the insurgents began advancing south. France’s action preempted a United Nations-approved plan for a military operation in Mali, which was expected to start about nine months from now. Hollande decided a military response could not wait that long in its former colony.
French president Francois Hollande launched an attack on Mali’s rebels, who are linked to al-Qaeda, last week after the insurgents began advancing south. France’s action preempted a United Nations-approved plan for a military operation in Mali, which was expected to start about nine months from now. Hollande decided a military response could not wait that long in its former colony.