Government troops, with help from French soldiers and aircraft, have made rapid advances as they pushed north in recent days, encountering little resistance.
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“This is not a slow waltz, it is a high-tempo break dance,” said Francois Heisbourg, special adviser at the Foundation for Strategic Studies in Paris. “Speed and rhythm and tempo are of the essence.”

Yet it is still unclear how much damage has been inflicted on the rebels, who have vowed to drag France into a long war. Since the early days of the conflict, the militants appear to chosen to retreat, rather than try and hold ground and face aerial bombardment.