France’s military has confirmed that its drone strikes have killed about 40 fighters earlier travelling on motorcycles near Niger’s republic border with Burkina Faso.
The military in a statement called the strikes “new tactical success” for France’s counterterrorism efforts in Africa’s Sahel region, named Operation Barkhane.
Barkhane said intelligence obtained from Niger’s republic units in contact with the column confirmed that the motorcycles belonged to an armed terrorist group moving between Burkina Faso and Niger republic.
Niger’s republic government also issued a statement saying the fighters were killed after an attack earlier this week killed eight security forces in southwestern of the country.
The drone strikes is coming as France re-organises its military efforts in the broader Sahel region, the huge area south of the Sahara Desert where it was once a colonial power and still maintains strong economic ties.
Niger republic has become a more reliable ally after military coups overthrew the democratically elected presidents of neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso over the last two years. France’s Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu on Twitter said the military commitment in the Sahel-Sahara area to fight terrorism, along African partners is total.
