SURPRISE HIT

Mali Rebels Attack French Forces

Launch guerrilla attack in Gao.

Malian rebels launched a guerrilla attack over the weekend against French forces in the northern city of Gao, just two weeks after France had cleared the city of the al Qaeda–linked insurgents. The Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa claimed responsibility for Sunday’s attack, as well as a suicide blast on Friday in the city that killed only the bomber. The rebels, armed with AK-47s, used canoes to cross the Niger River to enter Gao, northern Mali’s most populous city. By Monday morning, French forces surrounded the city’s police center, although it was unclear how many troops on either side had been killed.