French troops kill Central African Republic fighters amid sectarian clashes

French troops have killed unidentified fighters in Central African Republic, hours after a UN Security Council vote on Thursday allowing French troops to join an African peacekeeping force in the CAR.

An army spokesperson said that unidentified armed men were killed by French troops near the airport in the capital Bangui.

The military operation was launched immediately after scores died in fresh fighting between Christian and Muslim forces.

Bangui was attacked on Thursday, reportedly by militias loyal to Francois Bozize, who was ousted as president by rebels in March, plunging the country into chaos.

In an effort to stop violence in the African capital a day after sectarian clashes left 185 people dead, France President Francois Hollande said that the 650-strong contingent would be doubled within a few days.

Following the clashes, French officials have insisted that the mission's aims were limited to bringing a minimum of security to Bangui, where people now fear to leave their homes, and to support an African-led force.

The Archbishop of Bangui said 39 people were killed overnight and on Friday. Meanwhile, clashes also continued in Bossangoa, to the north, where at least 30 people had been killed.

The former French colony has slipped into chaos since mainly Muslim rebels seized power in March, leading to tit-for-tat violence with the Christian majority. The violence on Thursday was the worst the capital has seen during the crisis.

Since 2011, France has intervened in four African countries, in Ivory Coast, on a joint mission in Libya, in Mali and now in Central African Republic.