Hot! Heavy Gunfire In Northern Mali Town Of Gao - Bbc News

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Continue looking through the key account Mali: Divided nation

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Malian troops as well as diagnosed Islamist militants are generally swapping heavy gunfire for the roads associated with Gao in north Mali.

A BBC correspondent inside town states that the particular clashes commenced near the central police station but have because spread.

It comes daily after a suicide bomber blew themselves way up near some sort of checkpoint for a upper entrance towards city - cost-free this sort of harm with a pair of days.

Gao had been retaken just simply about a pair of 2 or 3 weeks in the past by French along with Malian forces, that purportedly drove out and about the particular Islamists.

Security had apparently been recently tightened inside the aftermath in the suicide bombings, with government patrols moved up plus checkpoints devote place.

It is definitely not really however regarded which often team was involved in Sunday's clashes.

However, the actual Movement with regard to Oneness along with Jihad in West Africa (Mujao) offers mentioned ?t had been behind the particular suicide attack with Friday, which often wounded a soldier, in addition to uncomfortable more.

"We are dedicating ourselves to be able to practicing a lot more approaches against France in addition to its allies. We ask any nearby society to keep a long way away coming from navy zones and prevent explosions," spokesman Abou Walid Sahraoui said.

The BBC's Tomas Fessy, throughout Gao, says Sunday's gun struggle appears to have going around the principal police arrest station within the in a niche community centre, nonetheless there may be these days serious gunfire originating from different areas.

A Malian jewellry controlling just one army placement informed him or her that quite a few gunmen were cruising close to about motorbikes.

Our correspondent states that everyone is barricaded inside of their houses and the specific situation is always unclear.

However, headaches that will Islamist militants had infiltrated Gao seems to have become reality, as they quite simply are usually waging a guerrilla war inside the town, your dog adds.

There had been not any quick brief review from the Malian in addition to French militaries.