UN troops, backed by the French military, opened fire on Laurent Gbagbo's forces Monday following consistent reports of attacks on civilians and peacekeepers.

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See below for Monday's live blog.

- French and UN helicopters on Monday fired at the Ivory Coast presidential palace and bases of strongman Laurent Gbagbo as the country's elected president launched an all-out push to make him step down.

- French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s office said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon had requested France's military participation.

-One of Gbagbo's advisers in Paris, Toussaint Alain, said the strikes were "illegal" and amounted to an "assassination attempt" on Gbagbo.

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