Malian army thwarts MNLA attempt to rob bank in Kidal

An unease calm has returned to Mali's northern town of Kidal on Monday after a shootout, the second since the weekend, over a bank targeted by Tuareg rebels MNLA and HCUA, a local businessman told Xinhua on telephone. "The high tension was resulted from an attempt by the combatants of the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) and the Supreme Council of Azawad Unity (HCUA) to rob from the Solidarity Bank of Mali (BMS), which lately opened its branch in Kidal," said Moulaye Ag Mohamed, a local trader. "They first of all began on Friday when they attempted to intimidate the soldiers who were guarding the bank by throwing two grenades at them. They returned on Sunday but were repulsed by Mali's security forces," he said, adding that the "same scenario happened on Monday morning, but the army managed to chase them away." A military source in Kidal told Xinhua the soldiers managed to transfer the cash in the bank to Gao, the biggest of the three northern towns which also include Timbuktu and Kidal. "There was some exchange of fire, but there were no casualties or injuries in our ranks," the Malian officer in Kidal added. He revealed that the MNLA fighters spent the whole Sunday night trying to bring to Kidal a cache of weapons acquired from elsewhere. "We reported these attempts to our allies under the UN Integrated Mission for Stabilization of Mali (MINUSMA) and Serval, but they did not respond," the officer added, noting that the intention of the MNLA fighters was to rob the bank. He urged the Malian authorities to quickly reinforce the Malian soldiers in Kidal, revealing that there were only 150 troops in town, while a battalion was needed to guarantee security. The current security situation is said to have been caused by the difficulty for MINUSMA and the French-led Serval mission in executing the terms of the June 18 agreement signed by the government and the rebels, especially the disarmament of armed groups. The clash came also as a setback in last week's efforts to end tensions between the army and the MNLA, which has been reluctant to see the comeback of soldiers since signing the ceasefire. Skirmishes had been previously reported between the two sides before the army entered the town. The MNLA occupied Kidal in the aftermath of the military coup on March 22, 2012. The resumption of hostilities adds to concerns caused by a suicide bomb attack in another northern town of Timbuktu on Saturday. At least two civilians were reported dead and four soldiers injured in the attack. Al-Qaida's North African branch AQIM has claimed responsibility for the strike. The recent attacks put the new government to test after Ibrahim Boubacar Keita won Mali's presidential election on Aug. 11. The heritage town of Timbuktu fell to Al-Qaida linked rebels after the coup. The rebels were routed out in January by the army with the military support of Mali's former colonial power France and allied African countries. Mali's Minister of Interior Security Sada Samake on Sunday went to Timbuktu on a mission to assess the situation and enhance security, promising quick reinforcement including military equipment.