Mali: Islamists Burn Timbuktu Manuscripts

Sky News is inside the Malian city as French forces advance - and insurgents burn vast numbers of ancient documents as they flee.

French troops are inside the historic city of Timbuktu in Mali after advancing north into an area held by Islamist militants.

As they fled, the insurgents apparently set fire to a library that is home to thousands of ancient manuscripts, an act described by the city's mayor as a "devastating blow" to world heritage.

Sky's Special Correspondent Alex Crawford was the first journalist to enter Timbuktu as the French were heading into the city.

She said: "In the centre of the town they are celebrating, they're going absolutely bonkers with flags, cheering and waving and saying thank you to the French."

[link to news.sky.com]