Mali's military rulers have accused the French army of repeatedly violating a controlled airspace over the country's centre and north to "spy" on its forces, the latest escalation of tensions between Paris and Bamako.
In a statement late on Tuesday, the military government said that over 50 breaches of the West African country's airspace had been recorded since the start of the year, mainly by French-operated aircraft.
Souring relations between France and the military junta in its former colony have pushed it to withdraw troops that were deployed in 2013 to push back militants linked to al Qaeda, and later to Islamic State. Militants have since regained ground.
