Mali - French Troops Battle Islamists - NYTimes.com French forces have killed 19 Islamist fighters during security operations in Mali's northern region of Timbuktu, a senior French officer said Tuesday. Pockets of fighters linked to Al Qaeda are still holding out across the north, nearly a year into a French offensive aimed at driving them from the desert region they occupied for most of 2012 after hijacking a rebellion by Tuareg separatists. The Islamist fighters have stepped up their operations in recent months, attacking United Nations peacekeepers and killing two French journalists in the northern town of Kidal last month.