8 Arab civilians detained by military in Timbuktu, as fears of reprisals in Mali continue
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Eight Arab men have been detained by the military in Timbuktu, raising fears of further reprisals against the region's Arab minority, whose members are accused of having supported the al-Qaida-linked fighters who had ruled northern Mali for most of the past year.
Witnesses late Saturday confirmed the Feb. 14 arrests.
Ibrahim Ould Ali said his 70-year-old father Ali Ould Mohamed Kalbali was taken from his shop. Mariam Mint Elbakaye, a merchant's wife, said her husband Mohamed Ould Mohamed Lamine was grabbed by soldiers while in the street. A neighbor said two brothers were taken by the army from their home and another resident said four truck drivers were taken from the Abaradjou neighborhood.
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Islamic extremists had fled Timbuktu before French and Malian forces arrived at the end of January.