The US State Department has told families of US embassy staff in Bamako, Mali, to leave.

In a warning, the department also advised Americans against all travel to the west African nation because of fighting and Islamic militant activity in the north and central regions.

The department warns of attacks and kidnappings of Westerners and of food shortages, the loss of government control in some areas and the presence of militants linked to al Qaida.

France has launched air strikes and sent troops to its former colony in attempt to regain control of the regions that have fallen to the militants.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.