Attacks in Benin: forty jihadists killed by French soldiers from “Barkhane” in Burkina Faso

French soldiers of Operation “Barkhane” killed, in Burkina Faso, forty jihadists involved in the recent attacks in the north of neighboring Benin which had left nine dead, including a former French soldierannounced the staff, Saturday, February 12.

These three homemade bomb attacks also left twelve injured. among the teams in charge of the safety of the natural park W. The military force that fights against jihadist groups, “alert by its Beninese and Burkinabe partners”, “engaged air intelligence capabilities to locate this armed group” responsible for the attacks before carrying out airstrikes on Thursday in which forty jihadists were killed, details a press release.

“On the morning of February 10, after having located and identified a first column of terrorists traveling on motorcycles, in agreement and in permanent coordination with the Burkinabe 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 “more than thirty terrorists were neutralized, a pick-up and more than ten motorcycles were destroyed”.

Towards the end of Operation “Barkhane” in Mali?

Until recently, Benin was considered an island of stability in West Africa, a region where many jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaida and the Islamic State (IS) organization operate. But a recent series of border raids in countries south of the Sahel have 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 basic capacities to the local staffs, according to concordant sources.

France’s priority remains to “continuing the fight against terrorism” alongside African countries, underlined the Chief of Staff of the French Armed Forces, General Thierry Burkhard, on Tuesday, during a visit to Côte d’Ivoire.