Algeria, Mali plan joint patrols on Saharan border

Bamako, Mali: Mali and Algeria and Mali are discussing joint military patrols and exchanges of intelligence to pursue Tuareg rebels and Al Qaida militants operating on their remote Saharan frontier, Mali's military chief said on Tuesday.
Colonel Gabriel Podiougou opened three days of talks in Bamako between senior Malian and Algerian military commanders aimed at improving security cooperation between the two Saharan neighbours.

Mali is struggling to quell a rebellion by Tuareg fighters in its northeast Kidal region, while Algerian authorities have been battling armed Islamist groups, including Al Qaida.