- Nineteen prisoners use cutlery to break out of cells at Winchester prison
- France wants progress in Ukraine before Russia returns to G7
- Italy president begins talks to seek way out of government crisis
- Italian PM expected to resign as political chaos deepens
- Russia says US cruise missile test ‘regrettable’
- Kremlin - No date set for Normandy talks on Ukraine despite Macron meeting
- Egypt court hands out 6 death sentences on terror charges
- Putin says Russian nuclear explosion poses no threat
- Russian panel eyes alleged foreign interference in protests
- Gran Canaria wildfire triggers evacuation of thousands of people
- PM Johnson calls on Germany and France to compromise on Brexit
- Sudan's ex-president Bashir arrives at corruption trial
Sunday, 03 January 2021_Two French soldiers have been killed when an explosion hit their armored vehicle in the West African country of Mali, the French presidency said.
President Emmanuel Macron’s office released a statement on Saturday, saying that an improvised explosive device hit the soldiers’ vehicle during an “intelligence” gathering mission in Mali’s eastern Menaka region.
The soldiers have been identified as Brigadier Loic Risser, 24, and Sergeant Yvonne Huynh, 33, members of France’s Barkhane military operations in Mali.
Huynh was the first woman soldier sent to the Sahel region since the French operation began. A third military man sustained non-life-threatening injuries in the bombing incident.
The attack came less than a week after three French soldiers were killed in Mali also by an improvised explosive device in the southern region of Hombori.
Macron’s office paid homage to the two slain military personnel.
“The President of the Republic pays homage to the memory of these soldiers, who died for France in the performance of their duty. He shares the pain of their families, loved ones and brothers in arms and assures them of the gratitude and solidarity of the Nation,” read the statement by Macron's office.
The presidency reaffirmed France’s commitment to remain in Africa for what it called “the battle against terrorism.”
Huynh and Risser’s deaths brought the number of French soldiers killed in the West African nation to fifty.
Mali has become increasingly engulfed in violence since a Tuareg uprising in 2012 was hijacked by extremist militants, prompting France to intervene to push them back the following year.
Your Comment