Two French soldiers killed in Mali attack
04 January, 2021
Two French soldiers passed away in an operation in Mali on Saturday and a third was wounded when an improvised explosive machine struck their armoured vehicle, the French presidency said.
The killed soldiers, Sergeant Yvonne Huynh and Brigadier Loic Risser, were on a reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering mission in the eastern region of Menaka when the blast occurred, the joint chiefs of staff said in a statement.
Huynh, 33, was the first woman soldier sent to the Sahel area because the French operation began.
Risser was 24 and both were members of a good regiment specialising found in intelligence work.
President Emmanuel Macron, found in a statement issued from the Elysee Palace, praised both soldiers and said the mission would continue.
“The President of the Republic learnt with great sadness of the death in Mali … of two soldiers of the next Hussar Regiment of Haguenau, Sergeant Yvonne Huynh and Brigadier Loic Risser.
“Their vehicle was the thing of an improvised explosive device attack during an intelligence mission in the Menaka region,” the statement said.
“He shares the pain of their families, their relatives and their brothers in hands and assures them of the gratitude and solidarity of the nation,” it added.
“The president of the republic reaffirms France's determination in its fight terrorism. He salutes the courage of our soldiers and assures them of his confidence and support in the face of this new ordeal.”
The injured soldier’s life was not in peril, French authorities said.
No further facts have already been released about the three soldiers.
Under a week ago, three French soldiers were killed found in Mali also by a great improvised explosive device throughout a mission in the southern area of Hombori.
Al Qaeda’s North Africa wing has said it had been responsible for that strike, the monitoring organisation Internet site Intel has reported.
The soldiers in both cases were part of France’s Barkhane military functions in Mali against Islamic fighters.
In line with the army, the most recent deaths bring to 50 the quantity of French soldiers killed in Mali seeing that France first intervened militarily in January 2013.
Source: www.thenationalnews.com
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