French, Malian troops regain control of Gao

Gao (Mali), Feb 11 (AP) French and Malian government forces today have regained control of this strategic northern city, after Islamic fighters invaded through the city's harbor and fought a protracted battle for hours in the heart of downtown. The brazen assault came after two suicide bombers tried to attack military checkpoints on Gao's outskirts. Yesterday's assault marked the first time the jihadists had penetrated the city of mud-walled buildings since they fled two weeks ago. Hundreds of Gao residents gathered around the heavily damaged police headquarters in the center of the city today where body parts lay strewn about. The al-Qaida-linked militants concentrated their attack on the police center in northern Mali's largest city. "Yesterday we heard the gunfire and hid in our homes all evening," said Soumayla Maiga as he stood with friends near the rubble of the police offices. "We were stunned when we came out and saw what happened." The radical Islamic fighters from the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa, or MUJAO, had ruled Gao for nearly 10 months before they were ousted at the end of January. The black-robed jihadists, armed with AK-47 automatic rifles, returned to the city by crossing the Niger River in wooden boats to launch their assault Yesterday afternoon, said French Gen. Bernard Barrera, citing the Malian military. The gun battles lasted more than five hours. By nightfall French military helicopters flew overhead to patrol the city. Two explosions rang out overnight but today the only sounds in the city were the morning call to prayer and barking dogs. Malian Lt. Col Nema Sagadam said that it was unclear how many jihadist fighters had penetrated the city in yesterday's attack, though at least 10 were killed by Malian forces. Malian soldiers fired on the police building because the radical Islamic fighters were hiding inside, she said. "We used heavy arms to attack the building because it was infested with militants who were firing at people," Sagadam said. (AP) PY 02111911 NNNN