Jihadist attack kills five in Mali's Timbuktu

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00:00 It started with a declaration of war in the Timbuktu region, announced early August through

00:04 audio messages by the Al-Qaeda Jihadist Alliance, known as the Support Group for Islam and Muslims.

00:10 Over a month later, it's clear that it was more than an intimidation tactic. Mali's military

00:16 says two people were killed and five injured in shelling on Thursday afternoon. The town

00:21 has been under siege for weeks, inhabitants are cut off from the rest of the world and

00:25 basic goods are in short supply.

00:27 "The market is really struggling at the moment. If this continues, a lot of shops are going

00:34 to have to close. Because if basic goods don't come in, like oil, milk, sugar or rice, it's

00:44 going to be very hard on the population."

00:51 The Niger river that flows a few kilometres south of Timbuktu was once a vital artery

00:55 linking the city to other towns. But an attack on a ferry early this month that killed dozens

01:00 of people has put an end to any transport along that route. Meanwhile, Sky Mali, the

01:05 only airline to still fly planes to Timbuktu, cancelled its flights after a shell attack

01:10 not far from the airport.

01:12 "Today, we can really say that the situation is unbearable. The people of Timbuktu are

01:19 suffering. This is a real cry from the heart."

01:23 Separatist forces are strengthening their grip on rural areas. And they're not alone.

01:28 The withdrawal of French troops and UN missions has also revived the threat of an offensive

01:32 led by Tuareg and Arab separatist groups.

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