The French army in Mali has said that it has found equipments and materials including suicide bomber vests and fertilizers in a remote town in northern Mali.
The found materials and equipments were discovered in Bourem, a town on the Niger River between Gao and Timbuktu in which about 5,000kg of fertilizer believed to be intended to be used as explosive devices by militants.
The French army spokesman Lt Col Cyril Zimmer told reporters that a sample suicide vest and 18 sewing machines were found in the town and it appears local women were employed there.
The fertilizer found on the site was suggested by the army spokesman that it would be enough for the manufacturing of plenty of belts and vests for suicide activities.
The French army says it first thought it had found a factory for making copies of uniforms worn by Malian soldiers and those in the West African force but they later found the sample vests the fertilizer as well.
The French forces have led an operation to oust Islamist militants from the north of the country who took advantage of a coup d’état staged by captain Amadu Sanogo in March 2012, to take control of the north of the country including major cities such as Gao, Kidal and Timbuktu where they imposed a strict form of Islamic laws on the people.
The 4,000 French troops with the help of Malian and West African soldiers have gained massive grounds against the militants in the vast desert region’s main towns and cities in the north.
France plans to gradually hand over to the Malian army and a 12,600-strong UN peacekeeping force, which is due to be deployed next month.
France, the former colonial power in Mali says its intends to keep 1,000 troops in the country to work alongside the UN force who will be deployed before the nationwide elections to tackle further militant threats that are likely to imamate from the militants.
Issaka Adams / NationalTurk Africa News
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