Clashes between Mali army, rebels have nineteen dead

The Tuareg-led Coordination for the Movements of Azawad (CMA) aggravated the deadliest battle in nearly a year between security forces and also the rebellion as its fighters ambushed the central city of Lere on weekday. 10 militants and 9 troopers died in clashes between the Malian army and also the main Tuareg rebel alliance, the govt. aforementioned weekday, raising fears for the country s fragile social process.

The conditional toll of the clashes is: military -- 9 dead, six hors de combat, six hostages, one broken vehicle," the ministry aforementioned in a very statement. "Enemy side: ten dead and sixteen hors de combat, 2 vehicles destroyed; one vehicle, arms and ammunition recovered.

A foreign security supply confirmed the fighting had stopped late on weekday, adding there was "no winner, no loser", with the rebels dominant the south of the city and also the army mamma in elsewhere.

Defence Minister Tieman Hubert Coulibaly aforementioned Lere was in restraint and "encourages the military to fulfil their duty unfalteringly to the service of our country", the statement adscititious.

The rebels even the ambush by citing a "flagrant violation of the ceasefire" within the Menaka region of Mali close to the Niger border, wherever pro-Bamako troops condemned positions on Mon.

"This act of legitimate protection isn't meant to say new territorial positions, that is why our forces directly left Lere once the fighting," a CMA interpreter aforementioned, claiming there have been "a dozen prisoners and a number of other dead" within the enemy ranks.

The assault came on on a daily basis of violence that started once militants opened fireplace on troops within the former religionist defensive structure of Goundam, eighty kilometres (50 miles) from city, killing 2 troopers and a toddler.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon everlasting fighters from the CMA Associate in Nursingd concerned an "immediate halt of the hostilities in northern Mali" following "serious ceasefire violations".

The CMA had warned on weekday it might assert its right to exercise protection. The Malian defence ministry defendant the rebels of the "murder" of a platoon leader, his deputy Associate in Nursingd an "innocent girl", voice communication it absolutely was a trial to "collapse" the social process.