TOPSHOTS Malian soldiers patrol in the streets of Timbuktu on February 1, 2013, as French-led troops worked today to secure the last Islamist stronghold in the north after a lightning offensive against the extremists. The fabled desert city of Timbuktu, an ancient centre of Islamic learning, has been recaptured on January 28 by French-led forces in their offensive against Islamist rebels who have been occupying Mali's north since last April. AFP PHOTO / FRED DUFOUR