MALI 'ISLAMISTS' BLOW UP BRIDGE NEAR GAO

Suspected Islamist militants have blown up a bridge near Mali's northern town of Gao, the army says. The bridge over the River Niger near Bentia is on the only route between Gao and neighbouring Niger.

The attack comes a day after shells were fired into Gao, also by suspected Islamists. Islamist militants controlled the whole of northern Mali until France and several African countries ousted them earlier this year.

BBC Mali analyst Mamadou Moussa Ba says that amid the recent upsurge in insecurity in northern Mali, France appears to have put on hold its plans to withdraw all but 1,000 troops from the country.

The United Nations also has about 6,000 peacekeepers in the country