A French soldier was killed during an operation Saturday morning in Mali, after "the outbreak of an improvised explosive device at the passage of his armored vehicle," said the Elysee in a statement. The victim, Brigadier Ronan Pointeau, was part of the 1st Spahis Regiment of Valencia. The head of state praised the soldier's "sacrifice" and expressed "his thoughts to his comrades engaged in operations in the Sahel".