Mali Northern Towns Heavily Bombed

{{French fighter jets have carried out multiple attacks on rebel positions as forces continue their advance into northern Mali.}}

The progress towards the rebel strongholds on Sunday came amid reports that the al-Qaeda-linked fighters were abandoning some of their positions and converging on the mountainous region of Kidal, their northernmost bastion, 1,500km from Bamako and near the border with Algeria.

“The deployment towards the north …. which began 24 hours ago, is on course, with troops inside the towns of Niono and Sevare,” Lieutenant-Colonel Emmanuel Dosseur said.

Niono is about 350km northeast of the Malian capital and 60km south of Diabaly, which was seized nearly a week ago by rebels and then heavily bombed by French fighter jets.

Sevare has a strategically important airport which could help serve as a base for operations further north. It is about 630km northeast of Bamako.

{Agencies}