Traore confirmed that some Malian soldiers had been killed at Aguelhok, but he refused to give the number of dead.
Security experts have been warning for months that the flow of arms and mercenaries out of Libya could destabilize the countries at the feet of the nation Gadhafi controlled for over 41 years. The enormous desert that stretches across northern Mali and northern Niger has more recently become one of the smuggling routes for al-Qaida's North African chapter, which is believed to have forged alliances with some Tuareg groups. It's a combustible mix, and senior military officials, including the general in charge of U.S. military operations in Africa have voiced concern over the growing threat.
Neither Mali nor Niger have the military capability to take on a major insurgency, and members of both Niger and Mali's government have approached the U.S. to ask for military support.
Baba Ahmed contributed to this report from Bamako, Mali.
The Associated Press