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French, Malian Troops Hold Gao
By Harold Hutchison

French and Malian troops held Gao despite a counter-attack by Islamist rebels who had earlier been driven away from the city in Northern Mali.

According to a report from VOA News, the attack came two weeks after French and Malian troops liberated the city. The attack on Sunday was preceded by murder-suicide bombings the previous two days.

The Islamist rebels, which include a group affiliated with al-Qaeda, seized the city of Gao in April, 2012. In January, French troops began deploying to aid the Malian government in fighting off the insurgency.