Malian government
soldiers have struggled to push the rebels back
Two army
helicopters were scrambled in response, a local official said Gao, with a
population of 87,000, more than twice the size of Kidal, hosts one of the
biggest garrisons in the north.
Separatist rebels
seeking to carve out a desert homeland began a rebellion in the west African
state in January.
A regional group,
the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas), has placed on alert a
peacekeeping force of 2,000 soldiers, Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara
was quoted.
After a coup by
disgruntled military officers in Mali a week ago, Ecowas has threatened to
close land borders, freeze assets and impose a financial blockade if the army
does not stand aside before Monday.
The UK's Foreign
and Commonwealth Office has now advised against all travel to Mali and urges
any British citizens currently there to leave.
'People running'
"We can hear
heavy fire coming in the direction of the main military camp," a Reuters
reporter said.
"People here
are running all over the place and all the shops are closing."
Mahamane Diakite,
an aide to the governor of Gao. "We
can hear heavy weapons fire. We have also seen two helicopters taking off to
shoot. Rebels have entered the town."
Malians with
family members in Gao say the city is under attack from multiple rocket
launchers, the Associated Press reports.
Correspondents say
the rebels can expect to meet tougher resistance in Gao, where the majority of
troops are from the Bambara tribe, unlike Kidal, where the majority of troops
were Tuareg.
Before the coup,
Mali's government forces had struggled to drive back the rebels.
The mid-ranking
officers who overthrew the government said the army needed more equipment to
fight.
Their leader, Capt
Amadou Sanogo, has asked for foreign help to tackle the rebels but has been
condemned over the coup.
Three members of
the military leadership have gone to neighbouring Burkina Faso for talks with
President Blaise Compaore, who is mediating in the crisis.
Libyan guns
The Tuareg fought
side by side with Islamist fighters to take over Kidal, the BBC's Thomas Fessy
reports from Dakar.
However, it is not
clear how they will share their success, our correspondent says.
Rebels from the
National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) want an independent north
while a smaller, Islamist group called the Ansar Edine wants to impose Sharia
law.
Azawad is the
Tuareg name for their home region in the Sahara Desert. The Tuaregs have
launched several rebellions over the years, complaining that the government in
Bamako ignores them.
The conflict has
been fuelled by the return of fighters from Libya last year after fighting
for the late Muammar Gaddafi or his opponents. It appears these fighters are
heavily armed with looted weapons.
Analysts say the
rebels have taken advantage of the recent military coup to move swiftly from
target to target across the north. If Gao falls, the only major town in
government hands in the north will be Timbuktu.
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