The French army neutralized four terrorists in Mali, including one who was involved in the kidnapping and killing of journalists from French radio station RFI in 2013, Florence Parly, the country's defense minister, said on Friday
PARIS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 11th June, 2021) The French army neutralized four terrorists in Mali, including one who was involved in the kidnapping and killing of journalists from French radio station RFI in 2013, Florence Parly, the country's defense minister, said on Friday.
"By thwarting the attack against the MINUSMA [the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali], the French Armed Forces in the Sahel neutralized the significant terrorist group linked to al-Qaeda [terrorist group, banned in Russia]," Parly said.
According to the latter, the forces taking part in the Barkhane military operation detected an impending attack against the UN compound in Aguelhok in northern Mali and launched the operation against the terrorist group.
"The operation led to the neutralization of four terrorists," Parly added.
The minister said that one of them was allegedly involved in kidnapping and assassinating Ghislaine Dupont and Claude Verlon, the journalists of French radio station RFI, in 2013.
On Thursday, French President Emmanuel Macron said that France would change the strategy of its military presence in the Sahel, mentioning that the Barkhane operation in its current form will be finished. According to Parly, the changes will affect only the means, not the objective.
