French army soldiers at Mali

January 16, 2013 -- Updated 0856 GMT (1656 HKT)

French army soldiers stand on armoured vehicles as they leave Bamako and start their deployment to the north of Mali as part of the 'Serval' operations on Tuesday, January 15. France is using air and ground power in a joint offensive with Malian soldiers, launched on January 11 against hardline Islamist groups controlling northern Mali.

Photos: French-led Mali offensive

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The French government has thrown down the gauntlet to the jihadists of Ansar Dine and their fellow travelers in Mali -- and insists its goal is nothing short of eradicating these militant groups.

It is a major undertaking, even with U.S. logistical and intelligence help and the prospect of reinforcement from African states. And the outcome is far from assured.

Operation Serval seeks to push Islamist groups out of northern Mali's key cities as well as smaller towns dotted through this vast region. But these groups have had nine months to establish defenses and a chain of command and improve their arsenals.

As I found out last summer on a journey north from the capital, Bamako, into the dusty heartlands of Mali, the seizure of the north by Islamist groups has traumatized tens of thousands of civilians. Many have fled their homes; others have endured hunger or cruel punishment for "offenses" that didn't exist before the Islamists arrived.

So ordinary Malians are welcoming the French intervention. But their enthusiasm may wear off, if the result is prolonged urban warfare and destruction.
                                                           Source: CNN