Islamist militants attack historic Timbuktu sites Islamist and Tuareg rebels seized several towns in the country's vast northern desert earlier this year, including Timbuktu, which the UN's cultural body, Unesco, has designated a world heritage site. The Islamists believe the shrines and tombs - dedicated to local saints under the Sufi interpretation of Islam - are idolatrous. Irina Bokova, Unesco's director general, called on "all parties engaged in the conflict to stop these terrible and irreversible acts." Timbuktu is celebrated as a centre of Islamic learning and hosts three historic mosques, as well as the Sufi tombs. Nearly 100,000 ancient manuscripts are stored in family homes and private libraries, looked after by religious scholars. Local residents have said they are shocked by the destruction. The attacks in Timbuktu are reminiscent of the 2001 destruction of the giant Buddhas of Bamiyan in Afghanistan, after the Taliban deemed them un-Islamic. Ansar Dine, which means "Defenders of the Faith," is backed by al-Qaeda's north African branch, known as al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. Mali's north slipped out of government control after a March coup brought down the government of President Amadou Toumani Toure. The Islamist and Tuareg rebels declared the remote region independent in May, prompting fears that the area - which is the size of France - could become a safe haven for al-Qaeda.