The separatist Tuareg MNLA beat back an attempt by the Malian army to recapture Kidal, and claimed to have taken the town of Menaka as well. Members of Islamist groups are also said to have participated in the fighting, in which two MNLA fighters and at least a dozen Malian soldiers are said to have been killed. Both the Malian government and the UN called for a ceasefire. France said it would deploy an additional 100 troops in Mali.
