The Barkhane force “neutralized” 40 jihadists involved in attacks in Benin – Zone Militaire

On February 8 and 9, an armed group, then suspected of being terrorists, carried out three coordinated attacks in the W National Park, managed by Benin, Burkina Faso and Niger. According to the explanations given by the non-governmental organization [ONG] African Parks Network, a patrol of rangers on a reconnaissance mission to flush out poachers was targeted by an improvised explosive device [EEI ou IED]. Then, another team suffered the same fate, as did, the next day, a detachment of Beninese forces.

“These attacks […] resulted in the deaths of four Beninese African Parks Rangers and two African Parks drivers [dont les noms seront annoncés une fois que tous les proches auront été avisés]the African Parks Law Enforcement Instructor and a soldier from the Beninese Armed Forces, as well as the hospitalization of twelve injured people,” the NGO said in a statement issued on February 11. .

As a reminder, the instructor mentioned in the text was a former non-commissioned officer of the 1st Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment [RPIMa], 50 years old. This prompted the opening of an investigation by the
National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office [PNAT] for “murder in connection with a terrorist enterprise”. The investigations were entrusted to the General Directorate of Internal Security [DGSI].

However, a few hours after these three attacks, the French force Barkhane was asked by the Beninese and Burkinabè authorities to locate their perpetrators. Air intelligence capabilities have thus been mobilized, indicated, on February 12, the General Staff of the Armed Forces [EMA].

Thus, on February 10, the suspicious group was spotted when it was still near the area where the attacks had just taken place. Then, having moved to Burkina Faso, and “in agreement and in permanent coordination with the Burkinabè authorities”, underlines the EMA, an MQ-9 Reaper drone carried out a strike against a first terrorist column, thus neutralizing a dozen of jihadists [ainsi que cinq motos].

Then, shortly after, a patrol of Mirage 2000s was engaged to carry out three more strikes against “terrorist groups in the vicinity” of the location where the first had been carried out by the MQ-9 Reaper. “During this action, more than thirty terrorists were neutralized, a pick-up and more than a dozen motorcycles were destroyed,” said the EMA.

It is likely that the terrorist group put out of action by Barkhane belongs to the Support Group for Islam and Muslims [GSIM, lié à al-Qaïda]and more precisely at the katiba Macina, active in the national park of W.

These airstrikes were carried out two days after an operation led by Barkhane in northern Burkina Faso. Operation during which a dozen jihadists from the Ansarul Islam group were neutralized, after “violent fighting” involving French commandos.