BEIJING, Jan. 23 (Xinhuanet) -- Malian and French forces continue to push into the Islamist-held north of the country, with convoys of French reinforcements now a common sight on the highway linking the capital Bamako with the front lines.
On Tuesday, Mali’s army chief said his French-backed forces could reclaim the northern towns of Gao and Timbuktu from Islamists within a month. Malian and French forces are patrolling Diabaly, about 400 kilometres north of Bamako, to boost their presence in the central town.
They’ve also recaptured the strategic crossroads town of Douentza, which was seized by Islamists in September.
Meanwhile, the US military has started airlifting French troops and equipment from France into Mali to assist the operation. France has around 3,000 troops now involved in the military operation code-named Operation Serval. In addition, about a thousand African troops from Nigeria, Togo, Benin, Niger and Chad also are taking part in the intervention.
(Source: CNTV.cn)
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