Islamist militants, swinging pick-axes and shouting God's praise, destroyed ancient tombs of Muslim saints in Mali's fabled city of Timbuktu on Saturday, sparking international condemnation.

The ramp

Islamist rebels in northern Mali took hoes and chisels to the tombs of ancient Muslim saints in the city of Timbuktu for a second day, ignoring international pleas to halt their campaign of destructio

A renowned extremist leader and his fighters on Monday seized control of Timbuktu and chased out the Tuareg rebels with whom they captured Mali's fabled city a day earlier, witnesses said.

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