Maloy News

A suspected jihadist opened fire on a crowd at an aid distribution point in a north Malian village, killing three civilians, a local official said.

French troops in Mali have arrested a French citizen who converted to Islam, took on the jihadist cause and threatened his native country in a video last fall, the military spokesman said Tuesday.

In preparation for a drawdown of French troops from Mali, a European Union team started training Malian soldiers for battle against jihadists who overran much of this West African country before they were pushed back by a French military intervention.

Al-Qaida's leader has urged Muslims in Arab Spring countries to unite to institute an Islamic state, while warning France that its intervention in Mali will be bogged down.

Al-Qaida's local chapter took responsibility for an attack on Timbuktu this weekend, as French and Malian forces Monday continued to hunt down the jihadists who infiltrated the ancient, northern Malian town.