<p>Al Qaeda-linked Islamist fighters rocketed French military bases in Kidal, Menaka and Gao in northern Mali within the space of a few hours on Monday morning, a rare sign of coordinated raids on international forces.</p>.<p>The camps were hit by "indirect fire", although no deaths or injuries were reported, said Thomas Romiguier, a spokesman for French forces, who have more than 5,100 personnel spread across the region.</p>.<p>The only damage was to a United Nations base in Kidal, which is next to the French base, Romiguier said. The head of the U.N. mission condemned the attacks.</p>.<p>In a statement on Al Thabat, an affiliated media outfit, al Qaeda said: "The rocket attacks of the mujahideen, in support of Islam and Muslims, targeted the bases of the French infidel army."</p>.<p>A witness in Gao said several rockets had been fired towards the French base at around 5:30 a.m. (0530 GMT).</p>.<p>The mayor of Menaka, Nanout Kotia, told Reuters he had heard explosions coming from the direction of the military camp outside town, but could not give any more details.</p>.<p>French forces killed Bah ag Moussa, a military leader of al Qaeda's North Africa wing, on Nov. 10.</p>.<p>The former Malian army colonel, also known as Bamoussa Diarra, was a right-hand man of Iyad Ag Ghali, the leader of Mali's most prominent jihadist group, Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), which has repeatedly attacked soldiers and civilians in Mali and neighbouring Burkina Faso.</p>
<p>Al Qaeda-linked Islamist fighters rocketed French military bases in Kidal, Menaka and Gao in northern Mali within the space of a few hours on Monday morning, a rare sign of coordinated raids on international forces.</p>.<p>The camps were hit by "indirect fire", although no deaths or injuries were reported, said Thomas Romiguier, a spokesman for French forces, who have more than 5,100 personnel spread across the region.</p>.<p>The only damage was to a United Nations base in Kidal, which is next to the French base, Romiguier said. The head of the U.N. mission condemned the attacks.</p>.<p>In a statement on Al Thabat, an affiliated media outfit, al Qaeda said: "The rocket attacks of the mujahideen, in support of Islam and Muslims, targeted the bases of the French infidel army."</p>.<p>A witness in Gao said several rockets had been fired towards the French base at around 5:30 a.m. (0530 GMT).</p>.<p>The mayor of Menaka, Nanout Kotia, told Reuters he had heard explosions coming from the direction of the military camp outside town, but could not give any more details.</p>.<p>French forces killed Bah ag Moussa, a military leader of al Qaeda's North Africa wing, on Nov. 10.</p>.<p>The former Malian army colonel, also known as Bamoussa Diarra, was a right-hand man of Iyad Ag Ghali, the leader of Mali's most prominent jihadist group, Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), which has repeatedly attacked soldiers and civilians in Mali and neighbouring Burkina Faso.</p>