Residents in the small northern Mali village of Battal ride with French soldiers in a tank - on the look out for leftover ammunition.<br/> <br />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.<br/> <br />Last week French President Francois Hollande said his troops would begin to withdraw in April, one month later than previously forecast.<br/> <br />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.
