A large scale military operation has been launched in northern Mali in an attempt to keep Islamic terrorists from being able to regroup and attack the country’s government.
French, Malian and United Nations forces are working through the north of the country after a series of terrorist attacks by al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. The terror group last launched a homicide bombing of a United Nations Stabilization Mission at a Malian military base. Civilians and two Chadian peacekeepers were killed.
A U.N. spokesman said the offensive against the terrorists is aimed at preventing a resurgence of the terrorist group. French troops drove the terrorists out of the major cities in northern Mali earlier this year just before the terrorists could attack the nation’s capital.
French military staff said that today’s action was the first major combined effort of the three military groups. They also said this was the first in a regular series of actions that will be taken to keep the terrorist group from being able to establish any kind of permanent influence in the region.
In a pattern of worsening typhoon seasons across the globe, the capital of Mali has been hit with flash flooding being called “the worst case for several years.” Continue reading →
One of Africa’s most wanted terrorists has released a video announcing his group has merged with another terror group aiming to take revenge on France for its intervention in Mali.
Mokhtar Belmokhtar, who has a $5 million bounty on his head by U.S. authorities, said his Masked Men Brigade will join with a Mali-based terror group to form Al-Murabitoun. Belmokhtar is the man believed to have masterminded the terror attack and hostage execution in Algerian plant in January. Continue reading →
The French government hailed the election of a new president in Mali as vindication for its decision to send in troops to fight Islamic terrorists in that country.
French President Francois Hollande said the election was “remarkably transparent” and called newly-elected Ibrahim Boubacar Keita to tell him that France “will stand by Mali.” Continue reading →
The French army has found a workshop in the northern part of Mali that is a factory for making homicide bomber vests.
Troops reported finding 11,000 pounds of fertilizer that could be used in explosives. A sample homicide vest and 18 sewing machines were found. According to a French army spokesman, local women said they were employed in the factory. Continue reading →
As UN workers comb through the ruins of various mausoleums and museums assessing damage left by Islamic terrorists driven out of the city, they made a very disturbing discovery.
Photocopies of a terrorist training manual appeared to show that al-Qaeda has a feared weapon called “The Grail”, a surface-to-air missile that is capable of taking down a commercial airliner. The weapon is also called a MANPADS, or Man-Portable Air-Defense System. Continue reading →
A team of experts in Timbuktu, Mali examining the damage left in the wake of Islamic terrorist control of the town says early estimates of damage to the city’s history and cultural heritage were grossly underestimated.
The U.N. team said Timbuktu is “completely degraded” that many more of their mausoleums are damaged or destroyed beyond what had been thought before the terrorists were driven out by French and Mali military troops. Continue reading →
Over 12,000 UN troops will be stationed in Mali beginning in July after a resolution received unanimous approval from the UN Security Council.
The force will include over 6,000 West African soldiers already serving in Mali. The French, who proposed the resolution, will now leave 1,000 troops in the country to fight al-Qaeda related terrorist groups. France originally said they would be removing all 4,000 troops sent to Mali in January to stop the terrorists from overtaking the Malian government. Continue reading →
A French offensive of 1,000 troops are sweeping through a river valley believed to be the logistic base for Islamic terrorists near Gao, Mali.
The move is expected to be France’s last major offensive before withdrawing their troops from the nation. The militants have hidden in the mountains in the north after being driven out of the cities. The Islamists have moved to a campaign of homicide bombings after losing control of the towns. Continue reading →
United Nations head Ban Ki-moon has said that at least 11,000 peacekeepers will be needed in Mali to ward off threats from Islamic terrorists.
The peacekeepers would be backed up by a second force, lead by African troops, that would concentrate on combat operations against the remaining terrorists hiding in the northern mountains. French forces that are scheduled to leave at the end of April currently head combat operations. Continue reading →
