PARIS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd January, 2022) A French soldier was killed in a mortar attack on the Barkhane military camp in the city of Gao in northern Mali, the French presidential office said on Sunday.
"President of the Republic (Emmanuel Macron) found out with great concern about the death in Mali of Brig. Gen. Alexandre Martin of the 54th Hyeres Artillery Regiment, who was killed in Gao during a mortar attack on the Barkhane military camp on Saturday afternoon, January 22," the office said in a statement.
According to the statement, Macron expressed condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased soldier, noting the recognition and solidarity of the French people.
The president also affirmed the country's determination to continue fighting against terrorism in the region alongside its partners.
The France-led counterterrorism mission Barkhane was founded in 2014 to fight terrorism in the African region of Sahel. The mission involved forces of the G5 Sahel countries, including Niger, Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, and Mauritania. In summer 2021, Macron said that Operation Barkhane would be reformed into an international counterterrorist alliance. France has begun reducing its presence in Mali in December 2021.
