Hundreds of troops from Ivory Coast's army and foreign mercenaries headed north from the town of Daloa today in the direction of rebel lines, a French army spokesman said.
Lieut-Col Ange-Antoine Leccia said a first column of up to 200 men was made up of mostly black English-speaking soldiers with some whites. Behind them was a column of hundreds of Ivorian soldiers.
They were heading in the direction of Vavoua, 60 kilometres north of Daloa.
"The attack has not yet begun," said Lieut-Col Leccia, a member of the force from France. The former colonial power has been monitoring a ceasefire signed six weeks ago by rebels in the West African country.