Malian army soldiers in Timbuktu make little effort to stop looting of shops owned by Tuareg and Arab minorities

Reports from the Saharan city of Timbuktu said dozens of residents had attacked property owned by Tuareg and Arab traders whom they suspected of collaborating with the rebels. The al-Qaida-allied fighters evacuated the town last week as French and Malian forces closed in.

There were fears that the Tuareg civilians could now be caught up in a bloody backlash, both from angry neighbours and from the army.

Malian soldiers were deployed in Timbuktu on Tuesday but made little effort to stop widespread ethnic-based looting.