On 22 January 2014 , a strong French column of more than a hundred soldiers transported Sending by armored vehicles out of the city of Timbuktu and turns Change towards the northwest , then turns Change east after traveling Traveling fifty kilometers .

On the night of January 22 to 23 , the French attacked Attack a group of jihadists in the desert about 130 kilometers north of Timbuktu .

Both sides clashed Hostile_encounter repeatedly leading to the Battle of Gao where the MNLA were driven Self_motion from the North 's two main cities , Gao and Timbuktu .