Tuareg rebel forces hit the fifth in a series of northern Mali towns they have attacked in the past week.

The National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (NMLA), a Tuareg rebel group, aims to create an autonomous region out of northern Mali, and has the backing of a large number of Tuareg fighters who have recently returned from Libya.

Lere’s mayor confirmed that the town is under attack, saying that most of the residents are hiding in their homes. The NMLA spokesman also confirmed the attack, saying that he was still waiting to here news of the city’s capture and “this is not long off.”

The death toll in fighting elsewhere in northern Mali is also said to have risen, though the lack of reliable data out of the remote region makes it impossible to conclusively say how the battle is actually going, as both sides are claiming to be routing the other.

Last 5 posts by Jason Ditz

• No Deal: US Restarted Pakistan Drone Strikes Despite Objections - February 22nd, 2012
• Syrian National Council Demands Foreign Invasion - February 22nd, 2012
• State Dept.: Pakistani Taliban 'Not Welcome' at Truce Talks - February 22nd, 2012
• Israeli FM: Our Decision to Attack Iran None of US, Russia's Business - February 22nd, 2012
• Hunger Strike Ends, but Adnan's Detention Without Charges Doesn't - February 22nd, 2012