At least 16 insurgents were killed in the northern Malian city of Gao when rebels clashed with Malian troops backed by forces from France and Niger, Mali's national radio reported Friday. According to dpa, at least six Malian soldiers were also wounded in the heavy fighting that took place around the Town Hall, the courthouse and Gao's market, the radio said. The clashes broke out late on Wednesday in Gao, about 1,200 kilometres north-east of the capital Bamako, and carried into Thursday.
