LONDON, England (AFP) — Prime Minister David Cameron has told President Francois Hollande that Britain is “keen” to give France further help in its fight against Islamist militants in Mali, a British spokesman said yesterday.

The Guardian newspaper reported that Britain was considering sending several hundred troops to Mali and neighbouring West African countries, largely in a training role, although Cameron’s office questioned the sourcing of the story.

Hollande updated Cameron on the military operation in Mali in a telephone call on Sunday evening, and Britain’s national security advisor Kim Darroch was in Paris yesterday for talks with French officials.

Cameron’s spokesman told reporters: “The prime minister made clear that we fully support the French government’s actions, working with the Malian government at their request, to deny terrorists a safe haven in Mali.

“The prime minister went on to explain that we are keen to continue to provide further assistance where we can, and depending on what French requirements there may be.”

Britain has already sent a Sentinel surveillance plane and two C-17 transport planes to assist French forces in the west African country, although one of these transport planes has since returned home.

“The UK national security advisor is in Paris today for discussions with French authorities on what further assistance we may be able to provide to them with regard to Mali,” the spokesman said.

He stressed that there had been no change in Cameron’s position that British troops will not be sent into a combat role in Mali.

In a story posted on its website Monday night, the Guardian quoted a source saying that Britain could easily dispatch 200 troops if asked to by France.

This would include “tens” of troops for an EU military training mission in Mali and a further, larger deployment to ECOWAS forces in neighbouring countries, both to train them for possible operations in Mali and to protect them.

“We have the capability and capacity to do that. We have the ability to contribute a sizeable amount if required,” a spokesman for Cameron’s Downing Street office was quoted as saying.

However, a Downing Street spokeswoman told AFP: “We’re not commenting on troops on the ground. And we also don’t recognise the words quoted in the Guardian about a ‘sizeable amount’.”

Yesterday, French-led troops seized the desert city of Timbuktu from Islamist forces after seizing the airport in a lightning advance.