Heavy fighting for the French Army in rocky mountains of North Mali against Islamist rebels

The combat of the French Army in rugged Sahara Desert mountains is growing harder, and there's a rising threat that the militants will turn to suicide bombings, hostage-taking and other guerrilla tactics. The French military struck at Islamist militants dug in along the remote, rocky mountain ranges of northern Mali over the last week, killing scores, a French military spokesman said Friday, March 1, 2013.

French soldiers stand guard outside the destroyed main market in Gao, March 2, 2013. French soldiers visited the market on Saturday, nine days after it was destroyed during fighting between radical Islamists and Malian and French soldiers.

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