Mali army, rebels clash in flashpoint northern town

By Adama Diarra and Tiemoko Diallo BAMAKO (Reuters) - Machine gun and heavy weapons fire broke out on Wednesday in the northern Mali town of Kidal, a rebel stronghold where the army has been reinforcing its positions before an expected drive to retake it, an army officer and the United Nations said. The clashes threaten efforts to find a peaceful solution to the long cycle of Tuareg rebellions in Mali's desert north. It also upsets plans by France and several West African countries to combat Islamist groups operating elsewhere in the region. A Malian Defense Ministry source said the army had begun an assault on the regional governor's office in Kidal. Read More http://ift.tt/TtSQWi