The north western African country of Mali has seen intense fighting in recent months. As armed Islamist rebels, backed by al-Qaeda, have taken much of northern Mali, the French President Francois Hollande has provided troops and heavy air support to help the ill equipped Malian army regain ground taken by the rebels.
Now the Islamist rebels have pledged to attack France on French soil.
“France has attacked Islam. We will strike at the heart of France,” Abou Dardar, a leader of Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO), one of the Mali-based groups with ties to al Qaeda, told the AFP news agency.
Mali is awaiting more support from other African nations, with America and Britain providing logistical support to the offensive.
There are currently around 550 French troops in the country helping the Malian army.