Gunshots Heard in Mali Rebel Bastion
Gunshots rang out in the streets of the Malian rebel bastion of Kidal on Monday, the local government and residents told Agence France Presse, after Tuareg separatists and the army exchanged gunfire the night before.
"The shooting has resumed in the center of Kidal. Shots were fired around 7:00 am (07:00 GMT). We do not know what is happening at the moment. But this is the same place as on Sunday," an aide of the regional governor Adama Kamissoko said.
A resident confirmed that fighting had resumed in the city center.
"We can't see anything. Everyone in the area has gone back into their homes. We do not know what is happening. We are afraid," he said.
The Malian army came under attack in central Kidal on Sunday from fighters from the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA), the main Tuareg group involved in peace talks between rebels and the government which broke down on Thursday.
The exchange ended more than an hour later with the MNLA later saying three of its fighters had been wounded.
Source: Agence France Presse
| Copyright © 2012 Naharnet.com. All Rights Reserved. | https://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/100234 |