Malian civilians killed in French airstrikes, reports say

French warplanes and helicopters have attacked the northern Malian city of Gao.

According to Press TV, French fighter jets have bombed areas in and around the town 30 times over the past 36 hours.
According to reports, a number of civilians were killed during the operation.
French Special Forces have seized Gao’s airport and a key bridge over the River Niger.
On January 11, France launched a war in Mali under the pretext of halting the advance of fighters who control the north of the West African country. The United States, Canada, Britain, Belgium, Germany, and Denmark have voiced support for the move.
Chaos broke out in the West African country after Malian President Amadou Toumani Toure was toppled in a military coup on March 22, 2012. The coup leaders said they mounted the coup in response to the government’s inability to contain the Tuareg rebellion in the north of the country, which had been going on for two months.
However, in the wake of the coup d’état, the Tuareg rebels took control of the entire northern desert region, but the Ansar Dine extremists then pushed them aside and took control of the region, which is larger than France or Texas.