{{A workshop to make suicide bomber vests has been discovered in northern Mali, the French army has said.}}
About 5,000kg of fertiliser intended to be used as explosive was also uncovered in Bourem, a town on the Niger River between Gao and Timbuktu.
A sample suicide vest and 18 sewing machines were found and it appears local women were employed there, a French army spokesman said.
French forces have led an operation to oust Islamist militants from the north.
The Al-Qaeda-linked groups had taken advantage of a coup in March 2012 to take control of the north of Mali, including major cities such as Gao, Kidal and Timbuktu where they imposed a strict form of Islamic law.
Since January, about 4,000 French troops with the help of Malian and West African soldiers have gained control of the vast desert region’s main towns and cities.
wirestory
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