France continues it airstrikes in mali: residence frantic

France continues Mali airstrikes; residents frantic UPDATED: Jan 18, 2013 10:40 GMT French warplanes pounded Islamist militant targets in Mali Thursday as international efforts to help the African nation's government fight insurgentsgained momentum. For a fourth consecutive day, airstrikes hit in and around Diabaly -- a town in central Mali, about 400 kilometers (250 miles) north of the capital of Bamako -- prompting men, women and children to flee or find cover, witnesses said. "People are desperate to get out," said Ibrahim Toure, a civilian who left Diabaly on Thursday. French fighter jets targeted the town since Monday, after Islamist rebels settled in a military camp on its outskirts that had been abandoned by Malian soldiers. The Islamists told Diabaly's residents they could stay, and they prevented some from leaving, said Cheick Oumar, a construction worker in the town. Read more: Why Mali matters "People are left without protection," he said. "The rebels say they will not hurtanyone, but people are afraid they will turn Diabaly into a new Islamist stronghold and impose Sharia law." Mali had been one of the most successful democraciesin Africa until last year, when a coup toppled the president and Islamists capitalized on the chaos by establishing themselves in the north. Read more: What's behind the instability in Mali? There, they imposed a strictinterpretation of Sharia law by banning music, smoking, drinking and watching sports on television. They also damaged Timbuktu's historic tombs and shrines.