"To be prepared is at the heart of the soldier's job, " he said in his annual New Year's message to the French armed forces.

BBC: UK to call up army reservists

An unnamed Elysee Palace official quoted by AFP said on Sunday that French armed forces had been surprised by the fighting quality and the equipment of the militants they were up against.

BBC: Mali: France pledges 'short' campaign against Islamists

But he said French forces had encountered "heavily armed militants" in the west, where he described the situation as "difficult".

BBC: Mali Islamists seize town amid French intervention

The French defense ministry said Merah had twice tried to join the country's armed forces.

CNN: Who was French gunman Mohammed Merah?

Ibrahima Dahirou, the head of Mali's armed forces, told Radio France Internationale in an interview published on its Web site Tuesday that French air strikes have made all the difference so far.

NPR: US Begins Transporting French Troops To Mali