Mali France blast suspect ‘flees’

A Tunisian suspect in January’s attack on the French embassy in Mali has escaped from prison, officials say.

An official in the president’s office refused to give details of how the man got away.

At least two people were injured when explosives were thrown at the mission in Bamako.

Police say he is a member of al-Qaeda’s North African unit but the group has not said whether it carried out the attack.

The AFP news agency reports that the head of Mali’s intelligence agency has been sacked over the incident.

Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb has staged several attacks in Mali and neighbouring countries.

It emerged from Islamist groups fighting in Algeria in the 1990s.