Islamist fighters in Mali have damaged at least one Muslim saint's shrine in the city of Timbuktu, witnesses say.
The fighters, from the Ansar Dine group, which controls much of northern Mali, attacked the mausoleum of Sidi Mahmoud, one of 16 shrines in the city.
Last week, the UN cultural organisation Unesco put Timbuktu on its list of endangered world heritage sites, fearing damage following the coup which toppled the Malian government in March.
Islamists regard shines as idolatrous.
However, some Muslims, especially Sufis, regard them as an accepted part of Muslim worship.
"They have already completely destroyed the mausoleum of Sidi Mahmoud (Ben Amar) and two others," Malian journalist Yeya Tandina told the Reuters news agency.
"They said they would continue all day and destroy all 16 [mausoleums] in the city."
Timbuktu, an ancient trading city on the edge of the Sahara Desert, is known for its distinctive architectural structures, constructed mainly from mud and wood.
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