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Gunfire heard in Malian town of Timbuktu - residents


    BAMAKO (Reuters) - Gunfire was heard on Sunday around the northern Mali town of Timbuktu, which rebels have said is among the three main regional centres they are targeting in a push to create a desert homeland.

    "It's our turn now. There is gunfire everywhere," local Mohamed Ould Ali said by telephone after rebels seized other key northern towns in a lightning advance since Friday. Other local sources said the regular army was in the process of fleeing its main positions there.

    (Reporting by Adama Diarra and David Lewis; Writing by Mark John Editing by Maria Golovnina)