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Friday, February 22, 2013

Malian, French troops kill 15 Islamists in Gao - France

A Malian soldier looks on during fighting with Islamists in Gao, February 21, 2013. French and Malian troops fought Islamists on the streets of Gao and a car bomb exploded in Kidal on Thursday, as fighting showed little sign of abating weeks before France plans to start withdrawing some forces. REUTERS/Joe Penney
A Malian soldier looks on during fighting with Islamists in Gao, February 21, 2013. French and Malian troops fought Islamists on the streets of Gao and a car bomb exploded in Kidal on Thursday, as fighting showed little sign of abating weeks before France plans to start withdrawing some forces. REUTERS/Joe Penney

PARIS (Reuters) - Malian troops backed by French soldiers and attack helicopters killed 15 Islamists in Gao on Thursday in fighting to retake a mayor's office occupied by the militants, France's Defence Ministry said on Friday.

Four Malian and two French soldiers were wounded in the fighting that erupted after Islamists were reported to have infiltrated the town in northern Mali. Calm had returned in the afternoon, the ministry said on its website.

(Reporting By Nicholas Vinocur; Editing by Janet Lawrence)


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