French military operations and presence in the Sahel region continues to grow in an effort to counter the rising threat of Islamist insurgents in the region.
The latest French commando operations and airstrikes against groups linked to Islamic State and Al-Qaeda in Mali have left 30 militants killed and scores wounded, according to the Armed Forces Ministry sources.
The military operations come as the France-led Operation Barkhane builds command coordination with local partner forces in sub-Saharan Africa’s Sahel region.
The latest Barkhane operations against the Islamist militants in Liptako-Gourma conducted between 6th and 7th February, 2020 resulted in neutralization of at least 20 militants and destruction of several of their vehicles.
According to Ministry sources, a Reaper drone, a Mirage 2000 fighter jet patrol, a Tigre attack helicopter and a Cougar transport helicopter took part in the two coordinated strikes in an area where militants fighters had been spotted.
The targeted raid was carried out in the west of the Gourma region, in an area where the katiba is rampant. The ministry did not give further detail, nevertheless, the likely target was Katiba Macina, one of the constituent groups of JNIM, which has pledged allegiance to Al-Qaeda.
French military spokesperson Colonel Frederic Barbry said that 10 militants linked to the Islamic State were neutralized in where two separate commando-led operations in the Liptako.
The French operations are the latest against Islamist militant groups in the region.
Insight
The Islamist militants aligned with Al-Qaeda recently received praises from the Al-Qaeda affiliated Al-Shabaab operating in Somalia.
Similarly, Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) affiliate in Mali, Jama’a Nusrat al Islam wa al Muslimeen (JNIM), which with no doubt is increasing its coordination with Al-Qaeda affiliates through the group’s emir, Iyad Ag Ghali, released an audio speech on November 8, 2019 praising Al-Shabaab’s attack on the Baledogle airbase ( U.S. military base in Somalia). This was Ag Ghali’s first public statement to Al-Qaeda affiliates as JNIM’s emir. The salutation statement builds on a history of AQIM coordination with other Al-Qaeda affiliates signaling of a possible merger of its affiliates in East and West Africa.
