Malian military offensive against jihadists rises

Mali’s military force says it has killed 100 jihadists in a joint offensive with French forces.

A statement released by the army said the operation which ran throughout January saw another 20 Islamists captured.

Militants control large parts of the Sahel desert region.

The Islamist insurgency erupted in northern Mali in 2012 and has spread to neighbouring Niger and Burkina Faso.

Over 5,000 French military personnel are in the region as part of a long-running operation to stop violence by Islamist militant.