Government soldiers in Mali backed by French fighter jets have once again been battling Islamist rebels in the northern city of Timbuktu.
The incident was sparked after a suicide bomber attempted to attack an army checkpoint. He was killed before he could detonate the bomb on Saturday evening.
This was followed by militant attempts to infiltrate the city.
The army, backed by French air power, then moved against the Islamists. It says eight Islamists and one Malian soldier were killed.
Earlier this year French troops pushed Islamists out of much of northern Mali but sporadic fighting has continued.
The situation in Timbuktu remains tense. Locals are now complaining that the French appear reluctant to take the fight to the rebels, the BBC reports.
Once again, the French left the Malian army on the frontline for hours before they intervened and finished the job.
