Two French soldiers killed in Mali
Image Credit: Reuters
On Saturday, two French soldiers were killed in Tessalit, Mali, after their armored vehicle hit an improvised explosive device (IED). A third soldier that was in the vehicle, was severely injured.
The French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his ‘sincere condolences to their families and loved ones.’
France started its military operations in Mali back in 2013. This, after Mali authorities asked France for help to regain territory lost to Islamist extremists. France deployed around 5,000 troops to fight the Islamists. The Islamists are known to have links with the terrorist group Al Qaeda and the Islamic State.
Last month, Mali experienced an attempted coup which complicated things with regards to the fight against the Islamic extremists. Huge parts of Mali are still under the control of terrorists and the amount of deaths due to the war runs in the thousands.
Read more about last month’s arrest of the President and Prime Minister of Mali by a group of soldiers here:
https://whatnownews24.com/2020/08/18/mali-president-and-prime-minister-detained-by-soldiers/
Read more about Mali’s President resignation here:
https://whatnownews24.com/2020/08/19/mali-president-announces-his-resignation/
Also, on Saturday, the ex- President of Mali Keita, that was ousted last month following a coup, has been flown to United Arab Emirates for medical treatment. According to Reuters the medical visit is expected to last between 10-15 days. The ex-president’s health was of concern after he suffered from a mini-stroke. He last left hospital last Thursday.
In total, France lost 45 troops since 2013, according to the French military.
Share this:
What Now News 24 