French force in Mali will rise to 2,500 troops: defence sources

PARIS/ KABUL / ABU DHABI / BAMAKO

rench soldiers attend weapon training in a hangar at the Malian army air base in Bamako January 14, 2013. REUTERS photo

France's intervention force in Mali will gradually increase in size to reach 2,500 troops, defence sources told AFP on Tuesday.

President Francois Hollande had earlier revealed that there are currently 750 French soldiers in the former colony and confirmed that the numbers would increase.

Afghan Taliban condemn French intervention in Mali

Afghanistan's Taliban insurgents on Tuesday condemned France's military intervention in Mali, warning that it would have "disastrous" consequences, AFP has reported.
 
France, which pulled its last combat troops out of Afghanistan in December, launched airstrikes on Friday to back the Malian army in an operation against Islamist rebels and is sending troops into the West African nation.
 
The Taliban said in a statement on their website that France should have learned lessons from the "failed" wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
 
"When France began its withdrawal process from Afghanistan in recent times it seemed as the French government would likely expand its anti-war stance to other regions of the world," spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said.
 
"However it broke off its commitment to peace by transgressing militarily on the soil of northern African nation of Mali.
 
The Taliban Islamists have waged an 11-year war against US-led NATO forces in Afghanistan and are undefeated as the foreign troops prepare to withdraw by the end of next year.
 
"France has launched war against the Muslim nation of Mali without having any legal jurisdiction," the Taliban said, urging governments and global organisations to "stop such transgressions".
 
The intervention will be "not only disastrous for Mali but also for France", the statement said.
 Islamist forces have already vowed revenge on France.
 
"France has attacked Islam. We will strike at the heart of France," said Abou Dardar of the Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) offshoot.
 
France has secured fresh UN backing for its military action in Mali and reinforced its ground forces with an armoured column after driving Islamists from their northern bases with air strikes.
 
A meeting of the 15-nation UN Security Council on Mali expressed unanimous "understanding and support" for the military intervention, France's UN ambassador Gerard Araud told reporters late Monday.

UN backs French military intervention in Mali

France secured fresh UN backing for its military action in Mali and reinforced its ground forces with an armoured column after driving Islamists from their northern bases with air strikes.
 
A meeting of the 15-nation UN Security Council on Mali expressed unanimous "understanding and support" for the military intervention, France's UN ambassador Gerard Araud told reporters late Monday.
 
The United Nations also said more than 30,000 people had fled the fighting and accused the Islamists of stopping thousands of them from travelling south into government-held zones.
 
French President Francois Hollande meanwhile arrived in the United Arab Emirates early Tuesday on a long-planned trade mission, but his aides have insisted he will be kept fully informed of developments in Mali.
 
Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, originally scheduled to be part of the high-powered delegation, stayed in Paris.
 
French jets on Monday hit Douentza, 800 kilometres (500 miles) from Bamako, which the Islamists have held since September. But residents said the fighters had left before the warplanes arrived.
 
The jihadists have imposed a brutal version of Islamic law in the north for nearly 10 months.

750 French troops deployed in Mali offensive: Hollande

A total of 750 French troops have joined the offensive against Islamist rebels in Mali where overnight strikes "achieved their goal," French President Francois Hollande said in Abu Dhabi today.
 
"For now, we have 750 men and the number will increase," said Hollande during a visit to his country's only military base in the region -- Peace Camp in Abu Dhabi. "New strikes overnight achieved their goal," he added.