Gao, Mail: Ansar Dine in Mali has started fighting back after its tactical withdrawal from Gao and now Malian troops have been ambushed by Islamist militants and a heavy exchange gunfire was reported from the streets of Gao in northern Mali. Experts claim that militants will again disappear after engaging with forces to tell local people that they can come back anytime and they are still holding the grounds.
Gao was retaken just over two weeks ago by French and Malian forces when militants left Gao without fight. Security had been tightened in the wake of the suicide attacks, with military patrols stepped up and checkpoints put in place. The Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (Mujao) said it had carried out Sunday’s attack on Malian troops as well as both the suicide bombings.
On Saturday, Mujao spokesman Abou Walid Sahraoui said: “We are dedicating ourselves to carrying out more attacks against France and its allies.”
