A few days after taking the towns of Konna and Diabaly, the French and Malian forces continued their progress on Timbuktu and Gao.

After the capture of Diabaly, the special forces advanced in Gao, the largest city in northern Mali, with a population of about 100,000.

[3][4][5][6] MUJAO forces still present in Gao were no longer very important, with about 60 fighters divided into two groups defended the Wabaria Bridge which guard the southern entrance of the city.

However, it will not take part in the fight, the action of the special forces proving sufficient to drive the jihadists out of the city.

[7][8][3][9] The fight began the night of 25 to 26 January, during the day French soldiers took position and snipers were placed on a hill overlooking the village of Wabaria and the river.

Supported by the snipers, the men of the 1st RPIMa and the CAP-10 take control of the south entrance of the bridge, but they prefer not to go further for fear of traps.

[10][11][12] On January 25 , around 7 pm, the attack on Gao airport began with the striking of fighter planes against six buildings and two BTR-60 armored vehicles that were destroyed.

Gao airport is not defended by the jihadists, however, the latter have abandoned on the track of the PT-76 light tank carcasses, hoping to prevent any landing.

Some Islamist fighters take advantage of the crowd to hide themselves and approach the French, they are nevertheless recognized and reported by Malian civilians.

Around 9 am, another pickup loaded with explosive and driven by two suicide bombers, dark on the French troops, but it is also destroyed by machine gun by the soldiers of the special forces.

The fugitives are hunted for nearly four hours, the French open fire with a machine gun, a mortar and even a Tiger helicopter, but the jihadists manage to escape, only two of them are wounded by a sniper.

The Malian special forces and the French armor then enter the morning in the city of Gao , abandoned by the jihadists.

The men of MUJAO abandon Gao, but in the evening, around 22 hours, two pickups are spotted and attacked north of the city by a Tiger helicopter from Ouagadougou.