Soldiers of the Barkhane force neutralized "more than thirty terrorists" in Mali during joint operations with Malian forces, Thursday February 6 and Friday February 7, as part of three separate operations, the general staff announced on Friday. of the French army in a press release.
"Continuing this week's efforts in the three-border area in coordination with its partners in the Malian armed forces, the Barkhane force has put more than thirty terrorists out of action during several successive operations," the statement said.
Between 6 and 7 February, the Barkhane force carried out an operation in the Liptako-Gourma area, between Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, which "resulted in the neutralization of some 20 terrorists and the destruction several vehicles, "said Colonel Frédéric Barbry, spokesman for the staff.
"A Reaper drone, a Mirage 2000 patrol, as well as a Tiger and a Cougar helicopter participated in two targeted strikes on an area where terrorist fighters had been spotted," he added.
France refuses to specify the number of jihadists killed
This week, moreover, operations by Barkhane's commandos enabled "the disarming of a dozen terrorists" during two separate actions in a region where the terrorist group Islamic State in the Grand Sahara (EIGS) is active, recently designated by Paris as the number one enemy in the Sahel.
The French army refuses to give a precise count of the jihadists it kills, injures or captures, and groups these three categories under the generic terms of "neutralization" or "put out of action".
The Barkhane force, engaged in the Sahel against the increasingly deadly actions of the jihadist groups, has just announced its passage from 4,500 to 5,100 men by the end of February, concretization of the will of France to reverse the report force on the ground.
Most of the forces will be concentrated in this area of the three borders. These include troops experienced in combat, including commandos, accompanied by a hundred vehicles (heavy armored, light armored and logistics.
Reinforcements will also include substantial means of intelligence, both human and technical, according to military sources and teams inserted with local forces, foreshadowing the activity of the future Takuba force, which will bring together European special forces in the summer. under Barkhane's command.
Jihadist groups have been increasing attacks for several months, maintaining chronic insecurity for civilians and inflicting regular losses on local armies. France lost 13 soldiers in Mali in November in an accident between two helicopters in combat.
The army regularly stresses that the president "demands results" while defending himself from any "scalp hunt". But many experts and analysts believe that the operation is getting bogged down, while drawing more and more criticism among African opinions.
With AFP and Reuters
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