UPDATED 7:24 AM EST, January 28, 2013
French-led forces in Mali have taken control of Timbuktu, seizing the airport and roads controlling access to the city, as operations continue to oust Islamist forces from the area. Hard-line Al Qaeda-linked groups had previously triggered international outrage when, upon taking control of the city earlier this year, they undertook a systematic campaign to destroy its ancient UNESCO-recognized artifacts and sites. The VOA reports on the battle to retake the city. Early coverage this morning indicates that fleeing Islamist forces have torched a Timbuktu library containing thousands of irreplaceable ancient manuscripts.
