Chadian forces move toward Mali border

BAMAKO, Mali -- Chadian forces advanced toward the Mali border yesterday as an African troop deployment and a U.S. military airlift swelled international support for French operations against Islamist rebels occupying the north of Mali.

The aim of the intervention is to prevent northern Mali from becoming a launchpad for international attacks by al-Qaida and its local allies in North and West Africa. Fears of this increased sharply after last week's hostage-taking raid by Islamist militants in Algeria.

Military experts say the swift and effective deployment of African forces is crucial to sustain the momentum of a French air campaign against the Islamists and prevent their melting away into empty desert or rugged mountains near the Algerian border.

An armored column of Chadian troops, experienced in desert operations, rumbled north from Niamey, the Niger capital, on the road to Ouallam, 60 miles from Mali's frontier, where Nigerian units were already poised to cross.

France, which began airstrikes in Mali 11 days ago to stymie a surprise Islamist offensive toward Bamako, has urged a swift deployment of the planned UN-mandated African force to back up its 2,150 soldiers already there.

The number of French troops could be boosted to more than 3,000 in the coming days and weeks, a source with knowledge of the matter said yesterday.

Entry into Mali from Niger by part of the African force would widen the front of operations against the Islamist alliance in the north that groups al-Qaida's North African wing and the Malian militant groups Ansar Dine and MUJWA.