MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 03rd January, 2021) Two French troops were killed and another one sustained injuries during an operation in Mali after their vehicle struck an improvised explosive device on Saturday, the Elysee palace reported, less than a week after another three French servicemen died in similar fashion.
According to the French presidency, the incident occurred in the eastern Menaka region. The injured serviceman is in a non-life-threatening condition.
The announcement came hours after the US-based SITE Intelligence Group that tracks jihadist activities reported on Saturday that Jama'a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM), the branch of the al-Qaeda terror group (banned in Russia) in Mali, claimed responsibility for Monday's deadly attack on three French servicemen in the African country. The militant group also reportedly demanded withdrawal of French forces from Mali.
In 2014, France launched Operation Barkhane to fight Islamist groups in the Sahel G5 countries, namely Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Chad. Amid continued unrest in the region, France and 12 countries created the Takuba Task Force this past March to provide further assistance to the Malian armed forces.
