French troops confident of Mali mission

PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS CONVERTED 4:3 MATERIAL

French soldiers arrive in the Malian capital to help the nation deal with an Islamist threat.

Commanders are confident they can help drive back rebels who've been advancing south.

French planes bombed the fighters for a second day on Saturday (January 12), as Malian troops moved in on the ground.

Mali's military leader visited wounded soldiers in hospital, saying every man in uniform would be mobilised to help the campaign.

The deployment is part of an international effort to prevent the expansion of groups linked to al Qaeda.

Neighbouring West African states have also sped up plans to send in troops.