Ivory Coast warlord killed

An Ivory Coast militia leader has been killed by forces of the country's new President Alassane Ouattara.

The leader of the so-called Invisible Commandos, Ibrahim Coulibaly, was killed in an offensive on Wednesday, a defence ministry spokesman said.

The Commandos had helped Mr Ouattara gain control of parts of Abidjan during a post-poll dispute.

But they had since fallen out and their respective forces clashed on Wednesday in the city, Ivory Coast's largest.

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French troops deploy to Ivory Coast

French troops and United Nations peacekeepers are joining the fight against Ivory Coast's incumbent president as forces backing the country's internationally recognized leader launch another attack for control of the commercial capital, Abidjan.  

United Nations and French helicopters in Abidjan have fired on forces loyal to incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo to stop them from using heavy weapons.  A spokesman for the U.N. mission in Ivory Coast says helicopters fired on Gbagbo's troops at the main military barracks as well as the presidential palace and Gbagbo's residence.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy ordered French forces to join U.N. operations to protect civilians and remove Gbagbo's heavy artillery.

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon asked President Sarkozy for what he called "urgent" military operations to silence mortars and rocket launchers that have been used against civilians and U.N. headquarters in Abidjan.

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