Violent clashes between Tuareg rebels and Malian military

Mali regular army reinforcements patrol Kidal in 2006. By Kambou Sia (AFP/File)

BAMAKO (AFP) - Malian soldiers battled Tuareg rebels in violent clashes in the country's north-west on Wednesday, a Tuareg group and other sources told AFP.

A military source from a country neighbouring Mali said the clashes had occurred in the region around the town of Tessalit. The information was confirmed by rebel sources and sources those close to the Malian military.

Tessalit is a city close to Mali's border with Algeria.

"It's the control of the city that's at stake," the foreign military official said. "Numerous military resources have been mobilised."

None of the sources was able to provide a death toll.

Tuareg rebels are waging their biggest offensive since a 2009 rebellion as they demand autonomy in Mali's vast north, and have launched several attacks on towns in the region since mid-January, forcing tens of thousands of people to flee their homes.

A nomadic community of some 1.5 million people, Tuareg of various tribes are scattered between Algeria, Burkina Faso, Libya, Mali and Niger.

Mali and Niger experienced uprisings as the Tuareg fought for recognition of their identity and an independent state in the 1960s, 1990s and early 2000 with a resurgence between 2006 and 2009.

The return of the rebels has added to northern Mali's woes as the region battles Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, which has carried out many attacks on troops, the kidnappings of at least 13 Westerners and various trafficking operations, including drugs.