French special forces and government soldiers drove out rebels who support al-Qaeda from a key desert town on Saturday, turning back a rebel advance.
Britain and America announced their support for the operation, ordered by French President Francois Hollande after the Islamists threatened to break out of their northern stronghold and invade the south of the country.
Mali's fragile government had begged for help from France after Islamists drove their army out of the northern town of Konna on Thursday. It was the fiercest fighting in the Saharan nation since rebels grabbed control of a vast territory bigger than France nine months ago. An international taskforce was being prepared and was expected to go into action later this year against the rebels. But after Konna was seized, French forces were ordered into action, apparently supported by African armies.
President Hollande said he ordered the operation at the request of President Dioncounda Traore, Mali's president, who has declared a state of emergency.
The French president described the rebels as terrorist groups, drug traffickers and extremists, and said they "show a brutality that threatens us all." He said the operation would last "as long as necessary."
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that Senegal and Nigeria also responded to the appeal for help to counter the militants.
Residents in central Mali said they had seen Western military personnel arriving in the area, with planes landing at a nearby airport throughout the night.
Sanda Abou Moahmed, a spokesman for the main rebel Ansar Dine group, mocked the Malian president for calling French troops into their former colony.
"While Dioncounda Traore asked for help from France, we ask for guidance from Allah and from other Muslims in our sub-region because this war has become a war against the crusaders," he said by telephone from Timbuktu.
For the past nine months militants have ruled the north of Mali, a lawless desert region where kidnapping has flourished.
There are 6000 French citizens in Mali, and they have been urged to leave.
Kidnappers currently hold seven French hostages in the nation.
A Mali army official said that Islamist militants had been driven out of Konna. Lt. Col. Diarran Kone said on Saturday that the military did not yet control the city and were still searching for any hidden Islamist extremist elements there.
"The Islamists have been chased out of the city of Konna. We are doing sweeps of the city to find any hidden Islamist extremist elements," said Lt. Col. Kone. "The full recover of the city is too early to determine as we do not yet control the city, and we remain vigilant."
The operation in Mali is the first military intervention under the leadership of President Hollande, just weeks after he pulled France's last combat troops out of Afghanistan, ending an increasingly unpopular 11-year presence there.
France was a leading force in the NATO operation against Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi's forces in 2011. Also that year, France played a driving role in an international military intervention to oust Ivory Coast's Laurent Gbagbo, who refused to leave power after disputed elections.
Britain and America announced their support for the operation, ordered by French President Francois Hollande after the Islamists threatened to break out of their northern stronghold and invade the south of the country.
Mali's fragile government had begged for help from France after Islamists drove their army out of the northern town of Konna on Thursday. It was the fiercest fighting in the Saharan nation since rebels grabbed control of a vast territory bigger than France nine months ago. An international taskforce was being prepared and was expected to go into action later this year against the rebels. But after Konna was seized, French forces were ordered into action, apparently supported by African armies.
President Hollande said he ordered the operation at the request of President Dioncounda Traore, Mali's president, who has declared a state of emergency.
The French president described the rebels as terrorist groups, drug traffickers and extremists, and said they "show a brutality that threatens us all." He said the operation would last "as long as necessary."
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that Senegal and Nigeria also responded to the appeal for help to counter the militants.
Residents in central Mali said they had seen Western military personnel arriving in the area, with planes landing at a nearby airport throughout the night.
Sanda Abou Moahmed, a spokesman for the main rebel Ansar Dine group, mocked the Malian president for calling French troops into their former colony.
"While Dioncounda Traore asked for help from France, we ask for guidance from Allah and from other Muslims in our sub-region because this war has become a war against the crusaders," he said by telephone from Timbuktu.
For the past nine months militants have ruled the north of Mali, a lawless desert region where kidnapping has flourished.
There are 6000 French citizens in Mali, and they have been urged to leave.
Kidnappers currently hold seven French hostages in the nation.
A Mali army official said that Islamist militants had been driven out of Konna. Lt. Col. Diarran Kone said on Saturday that the military did not yet control the city and were still searching for any hidden Islamist extremist elements there.
"The Islamists have been chased out of the city of Konna. We are doing sweeps of the city to find any hidden Islamist extremist elements," said Lt. Col. Kone. "The full recover of the city is too early to determine as we do not yet control the city, and we remain vigilant."
The operation in Mali is the first military intervention under the leadership of President Hollande, just weeks after he pulled France's last combat troops out of Afghanistan, ending an increasingly unpopular 11-year presence there.
France was a leading force in the NATO operation against Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi's forces in 2011. Also that year, France played a driving role in an international military intervention to oust Ivory Coast's Laurent Gbagbo, who refused to leave power after disputed elections.