French soldiers from the anti-jihadist operation Barkhane eliminated in Burkina Faso 40 jihadists involved in the recent attacks in neighboring northern Benin which left 9 dead, including a former French soldier, the general staff announced in a press release on Saturday. .
After these three homemade bomb attacks which also injured 12 of the teams in charge of the security of the W natural park, the Barkhane force, “alert by its Beninese and Burkinabè partners”, “committed air intelligence capabilities to locate this armed group” responsible for the attacks before carrying out airstrikes on Thursday in which 40 jihadists were killed, details the press release.
“On the morning of February 10, after locating and identifying a first column of terrorists traveling on motorcycles, in agreement and in permanent coordination with the Burkinabè authorities, a first air strike was carried out by a Reaper drone as the column came to enter Burkinabe territory”, and “a dozen terrorists have been neutralized”, according to the staff.
“The engagement of a patrol of Mirage 2000 fighters made it possible to carry out three new strikes targeting groups of terrorists near the site of the first strike”, during which “more than thirty terrorists were neutralized, a pick-up and more than a dozen motorcycles were destroyed,” the statement added.
Benin was until recently considered an island of stability in West Africa, a region where many jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (IS) organization operate. But a recent spate of border raids in countries south of the Sahel has confirmed fears that jihadist groups operating in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso are seeking to advance towards the coast.
France, which has been fighting jihadist groups in the Sahel for nine years, could well announce the withdrawal of its troops from Mali in the coming days, as the ruling junta in Bamako shows growing hostility towards the presence French.
Paris nevertheless retains the firm intention of continuing to fight against the spread of jihadism in the region. The French general staff wishes to strengthen its cooperation activities there and provide key capacities to the local staffs, according to concordant sources.
France’s priority remains to “continue the fight against terrorism” alongside African countries, the Chief of the French Armed Forces, General Thierry Burkhard, stressed on Tuesday during a visit to Côte d’Ivoire. .