Residents in the small northern Mali village of Battal ride with French soldiers in a tank - on the look out for leftover ammunition.

Grenades and other weapons have been abandoned by the Islamist fighters who occupied the region for the past 10 months before being pushed out by the French.

Last week French President Francois Hollande said his troops would begin to withdraw in April, one month later than previously forecast.

France launched a ground and air operation in January to drive out Islamist rebels' saying the militants posed a risk to the security of West Africa and Europe.