France asks UN Security Council to meet on Mali
Malian police patrol in Bamako, on January 13, 2013. French jets pounded the Islamist strongholds of Gao and Kidal in northern Mali today, forcing insurgents to flee on the third day of a game-changing intervention that has been met with relief by the population and spurred the region into action. AFP PHOTO / ISSOUF SANOGO (Photo credit should read ISSOUF SANOGO/AFP/Getty Images)
The French mission to the United Nations said that the Security Council will meet Monday to discuss the latest updates of the ongoing mission in northern Mali, reports AP.
Spokesperson Brieuc Pont Tweeted Sunday that the council will "hold consultations" at France's request.
French troops entered Mali three days ago to remove Al Qaeda linked extremists from the northern part of the country.
The French involvement is part of an international effort to prevent the terrorist organization from expanding its reach.
AP reports that at least 11 civilians have died in the fighting so far, including three children, according to a presidential spokesman.
On Sunday, the French government said that French warplanes have bombed Gao, an Islamist-rebel-held town in Mali, BBC News reported.
"We have already held back the progress of our adversaries and inflicted heavy losses on them. But our mission is not over yet," French President Francois Hollande said Saturday, NBC News reported.
More from GlobalPost: French forces hammer Mali with airstrikes for third consecutive day
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