Ansar Dine

7 Stories

French Eye Mali Exit
 French Eye Mali Exit 
Feb 6, 2013 3:03 AM CST

French Eye Mali Exit

Minister hopes to begin handover to African troops soon

(Newser) - French troops may start pulling out of Mali as early as next month, handing over to a still-developing African force. The potential withdrawal, floated by French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius in a newspaper interview, came as forces from France and Chad secured a key bastion in northern Mali, the city...

France: Mali Fighting Over, Time for Talks

Mali interim prez refuses to talk to Islamic militants, only secular groups

(Newser) - With French forces retaking the last city held by rebels , Paris is now looking for the Mali government and "legitimate representatives" from rebel groups to talk, reports al-Jazeera . "We have arrived at a moment of change," says France's defense minister, declaring that "the French intervention...

French Forces Reach Timbuktu
 French Forces Reach Timbuktu 
Jan 28, 2013 12:03 AM CST

French Forces Reach Timbuktu

Islamists on the retreat in northern Mali

(Newser) - Ground forces backed by French paratroopers and helicopters took control of the airport and roads leading to the fabled desert town of Timbuktu in an overnight operation, a French military official says. The move marked the latest inroad by the two-week-old French mission to oust radical Islamists from the northern...

As African Coalition Enters Mali, Rebels Splinter

Branch of al-Qaeda-linked group calls for peace talks

(Newser) - Less than two weeks after France started airstrikes in rebel-held Mali , and a day after thousands of African coalition troops began to enter the country, one rebel faction has broken away from Islamic militants and called for peace talks, reports the AP . One wing of al-Qaeda-linked Ansar Dine, calling itself...

In Northern Mali, al-Qaeda Building Its Own Country

Extremist groups took over the area after coup

(Newser) - Since the military coup in Mali earlier this year, al-Qaeda's influence in the African nation has increased—to the point that northern Mali, the largest territory held by the terror group, is now basically al-Qaeda's own country. The AP takes an extensive look, describing the elaborate series of...

Islamists Cut Off Mali Thief's Hand

UN, African Union weigh military intervention

(Newser) - The Islamic rebel groups in control of much of northern Mali are continuing their drive to bring in Sharia law's harsh punishments. In a village near the regional capital Gao, extremists cut off the hand off an alleged thief in front of dozens of witnesses, the BBC reports. "...

Extremists Smash More Timbuktu Sites

'World heritage doesn't exist,' Ansar Dine fighters say

(Newser) - Islamic extremists destroying historic sites in the ancient city of Timbuktu have vowed to keep going until there's nothing left. Gunmen in the Malian city destroyed two tombs at the 700-year-old Djingareyber mosque yesterday, adding to a trail of destruction which includes the mausoleums of numerous Islamic saints, considered...

7 Stories