Major Mali city on high alert for Tuareg attacks (AP)

BAMAKO, Mali ? Tuareg rebels say they have taken up strategic positions around the city of Kidal, prompting the regional capital to go on high alert.

If the rebels succeed in attacking, it will mark the first aggression against a major city since they launched their rebellion just over two weeks ago. In that period of time, the rebels have attacked at least six smaller towns in the north of the landlocked country.

The Paris-based spokesman for the rebels Moussa Ag Acharatoumane on Monday suggested a pending attack. He said, "We're surrounding the town, but we haven't cut it off completely."

The rebels claim they are fighting for independence. Analysts and experts say the fighting is one of the after effects of the fall of Tripoli. Many of the ethnic Tuareg fighters were previously enlisted in Moammar Gadhafi's army.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120206/ap_on_re_af/af_mali_tuaregs

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