French and Malian troops retook control of Timbuktu, a Unesco World Heritage site, yesterday after Islamist rebel occupiers fled the ancient Sahara trading town and torched several buildings, including a priceless manuscript library.

More than 15,000 people including Malian military personnel have fled into neighbouring countries since members of the nomadic Tuareg ethnic group launched a new rebellion against the Malian government last month, aid officials say.