Suicide Bomber Blows Himself

A suicide bomber has blown himself up in the northern Mali town of Gao - the country's first such case, sources say.

The attacker approached a group of soldiers on a motorbike before detonating an explosive belt, injuring one of them, a Malian officer told AFP.

Gao is the most populous city in northern Mali, which was captured by Islamist militants last year.

Meanwhile, there are report of exchanges of fire between rival soldiers in the capital, Bamako.

Heavily armed soldiers attacked a camp of elite paratroopers, leaving "many injured", a soldier insider the camp told AFP.

A BBC reporter in the city said he had heard shooting.

France has sent some 4,000 troops to northern Mali to oust the militants.

They have retaken control of the main towns.

~BBC News