One of the most famous mosques in the historic city of Timbuktu has been attacked by armed gun men.

The men who are reported to have been Islamic militants broke down the door of the 15th-Century Sidi Yahia mosque, which is one of the three great mosques of Timbuktu.

The Ansar Dine group, which is said to have links to al-Qaeda, seized control of the city earlier this year,  has already destroyed several of the city’s shrines, because they believe they contravene Islamic practice..

The UN cultural agency Unesco and Mali’s government have called on Ansar Dine to halt its campaign.