French troops face combat with Mali rebels ‘within hours’

French soldiers were today heading for their first major ground combat with Islamist rebels in Mali.

Locals waved in support as a convoy of 30 armoured vehicles set out from the capital, Bamako, for rebel-held Diabaly, 220 miles to the north. The first unit of an African force was due to arrive today to back them up.

Admiral Edouard Guillaud, France’s military chief of staff, said: “Now we’re on the ground. We will be in direct combat within hours.”

France was to have provided only aerial and logistical support for a military intervention to halt the advance of al Qaeda-linked militants.

Since Friday French planes have bombarded the insurgents’ camps and arms depots. But the rebels still managed to take over a strategically important military camp in Diabaly yesterday, and France announced it was increasing its troop contingent from 800 to 2,500.

A French military spokesman said the Islamists had managed to seize more territory because they were embedding themselves with the population, making it difficult to bomb without causing civilian casualties. Admiral Guillaud said the groups had a history of taking human shields and France would do its utmost to safeguard civilians: “When in doubt, we will not fire.”

France launched Operation Serval after Malian government forces appeared unable to stop the Islamists, who have taken over the north of the country, from heading south towards Bamako.

The fight was to have been led by African troops pledged by Mali’s neighbours — but they are yet to arrive, leaving France to spearhead the attack. Britain has offered logistical help, sending two RAF C-17 Globemaster aircraft to transport vehicles, equipment and supplies. But David Cameron has denied the UK will place Army “boots on the ground”. French President François Hollande said he believed the extremists could be defeated in a week.

He added: “We have one objective: to make sure that when we leave there is security in Mali, legitimate leaders, an electoral process and the terrorists no longer threaten its territory.

“We are confident about the speed with which we will be able to stop the aggressors.”

Al-Shabab militants in Somalia say they will execute French intelligence agent Denis Allex in retaliation for a botched operation to free him. France said he had already been killed by his captors during Friday’s raid in which two French commandos died.