France set for Mali ‘direct combat’

French troops pressed northwards in Mali yesterday, towards territory occupied for months by Islamist militants, military officials said, announcing the start of a land assault which will put soldiers in direct combat “within hours”. French ground operations began overnight in Mali, said Admiral Edouard Guillaud, the French military chief of staff. France’s defence minister said soldiers were heading away from the relative safety of the capital towards rebel strongholds in the north of the West African former French colony. Five days of air strikes have done little to erode the Islamist gains, which some in the West fear could turn the region into a launching pad for terrorist attacks. The ground assault reversed France’s earlier insistence that it would provide only air and logistical support for a military intervention led by African troops. “Now we’re on the ground,” Admiral Guillaud said. “We will be in direct combat within hours.” Yesterday, France announced that it was increasing the number of troops from 800 to 2,500. The offensive was to have been led by thousands of African troops pledged by Mali’s neighbours, but they have yet to arrive, making it increasingly apparent...