The Malian government on Friday declared a nation-wide state of emergency as the government troops have launched a counter-offensive against rebels who have occupied the northern part of the country, a high-ranking official told reporters.

The decision was made at a Council of Ministers meeting under the chairmanship of President Dioncounda Traure. It came at a time as the rebel forces was moving south and engaged with the government troops in the last couple of days.

It was reported that France's air force carried out an air strike in Mali on Friday in a move to back the Mali government forces to block the revels southern-word movement.

A rebel coalition of AQIM, MUJAO and Ansar Dine entered Konna on Thursday after days of fighting with the government forces based in the town.

However through aerial intervention, the Malian army managed to regain control of Konna locality and neutralize all the jihads on Thursday afternoon, military sources said.

The military sources confirmed that "all the jihads were neutralized at Konna after the deployment of three army helicopters, one from Bamako and two helicopters from Sevare."

The clash is the latest between the army and the rebels since the latter occupied the north in the aftermath of a military coup on March 22, 2012.

Al-Qaida's branch in North Africa AQIM is considered a major threat in the Sahel region. The military intervention plan was drawn up out of fear that northern Mali could become a safe haven for terrorism and drug and human trafficking.

The UN Security Council has approved the intervention plan submitted by ECOWAS and the African Union has called on member states to support the Malian military.

Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Chairperson of AU Commission, strongly condemned the renewed attacks by armed groups in northern Mali, which resulted in the capture of the town of Konna, in the Mopti area, AU announced in a press statement on Friday.

Zuma expressed AU's solidarity with Mali, and called on all AU Member States, in line with the relevant decisions of the Peace and Security Council (PSC) and UN Security Council resolutions, to extend the necessary logistical, financial and capacity building support to the Malian Defense and Security Forces.

Consultations are underway between the AU and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to determine the best ways and means of expediting the deployment of the African-led International Support Mission in Mali (AFISMA), as authorized by Security Council resolution 2085 (2012).

It was also reported Friday that chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has also authorized an immediate deployment of troops to Mali.