Mali conflict
Attacks, ethnic massacres leave ghost villages in central Mali
An Islamist insurgency erupted in the north of the vast west African state in 2012, claiming thousands of military and civilian lives since.
Opposition supporters, who gathered outside the headquarters of an opposition party in the city centre, were met by police carrying riot shields and batons.
Late last month, a landmine explosion in Mopti region killed 26 people and wounded several others, many of them from Burkina Faso.
The Tiger helicopter crashed around midday about 70 km north of Gao, burning out completely with no survivors.
The operation followed the death of a French soldier nearby earlier this month. It involved both air and ground strikes, the statement said.
Officials said around 10 people from CMA died in the clashes, which took place on Friday and Saturday.
At least 103 peaeckeepers have died since the start of the mission in April 2013.
The increase will bring the force’s maximum size to 13,289 military personnel and 1,920 police.
The nationalities of the soldiers were not released & so far no group had taken responsibility for the attack.
Nineteen victims and two gunmen died in the 20 November assault on Bamako’s Radisson Blu hotel.
The United Nations said there had been four explosions but no reports so far of injuries or damage.
The image shows the young men holding AK47 rifles and standing in front of a truck bearing a black flag.
International Relations is yet to confirm whether there are in fact South Africans among the hostages.
A northern Tuareg separatist group denies that any deal has been struck.
The group said in a statement the proposal failed to meet expectations.
The deceased include a French citizen and a Belgian security officer with the EU delegation.
French forces have killed around a dozen militants in the region of the Adrar des Ifoghas mountains.
The mission said a car packed with explosives was driven up to the entrance of the UN base and detonated.
Police say they have identified the owner of the vehicle believed to have been used by the assailants.