Islamists based in northern Mali, under daily bombardment by France's warplanes, have vowed to avenge the assault on French soil as well as in Africa.
France’s warplanes on Sunday hit northern strongholds of Islamist rebels in Mali, intensifying its military push into the West African nation as neighboring countries rushed to deploy troops to fight groups allied with al Qaeda.
"France has attacked Islam. We will strike at the heart of France," said Abou Dardar, a leader of Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO), an offshoot of al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), speaking to AFP by telephone on Monday.
Asked where they would strike, he said: "Everywhere. In Bamako, in Africa and in Europe."
The French offensive has blocked the advance of Islamist forces towards the capital Bamako from their bases in the north which they have controlled since last April.
On Sunday, French aviation struck at targets in the central Islamist strongholds of Gao and Kidal.
French President Francois Hollande authorized the military operation, code-named “Serval” in response to an urgent appeal from Mali President Dioncounda Traoré.
"French fighter jets aimed at and destroyed several targets this Sunday, some training camps, infrastructure and logistical bases," French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said.
France’s foreign minister Laurent Fabius said the 3-day-old intervention is gaining international support, with communications and transport help from the United States and backing from Britain, Denmark and other European countries.
“The Islamist offensive has been stopped,” Fabius said on RTL radio Sunday. “Blocking the terrorists … we’ve done it.”
US officials have said they had offered to send drones to Mali and were considering a broad range of options for assistance to French troops, including information-sharing and possibly allowing limited use of refueling tankers.
British Prime Minister David Cameron also agreed to send aircraft to help transport troops.