The French forces neutralised around 340 artillery shells and high-calibre rockets found stashed under acacia trees in ravines, it reports.

BBC: Mali crisis: France in big offensive against Islamists

They included cavalry engineers, artillery, aviation and special operations forces.

CNN: Saddam 'caught like a rat' in a hole

Mr. MICHAEL EISENSTAT (Washington Institute for Near East Policy): It has to be a much larger, a much more capable force and it probably has to include light and mechanized infantry, armor, light artillery, as well as special forces who are capable of conducting a counterinsurgency and counterterrorist type operations.

NPR: Bush Calls for Peacekeepers �� But Where Are They?

Meanwhile Syrian forces have launched new air and artillery strikes on rebel-held areas, in particular in the northern city of Aleppo, the pro-rebel Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

BBC: World powers welcome Lakhdar Brahimi as new UN envoy

British forces late Wednesday and Thursday bombarded Iraqi forces around Basra with long-range artillery.

CNN: Complex found bulging with food in hungry city

In eastern Libya, rebel forces in the oil port of Ras Lanuf came under frequent air and artillery attacks.

BBC: Libya no-fly zone a UN decision, says Hillary Clinton

Provisional Forces (UNPROFOR) in Sarajevo (whose troops were shelled by Serbian artillery for the second time in 48 hours yesterday) formally ask the U.N.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Freedom Flame 2013

By mid-week, Russian forces had taken up positions along the Terek river, and some were within artillery range of Grozny.

ECONOMIST: Special

British units opening fire with artillery on the southern city of Basra after what UK officials said were attacks by Iraqi forces.

BBC: Coalition troops are within 100 kilometres of Baghdad