French Troops Kill ‘Hundreds’ of Islamist Fighters in Mali
A monthlong French offensive has killed “hundreds” of Islamist fighters in Mali, the French defense minister said, as his troops prepare to start withdrawing next month.
French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian gave the number of casualties to CNN affiliate BFM on Tuesday night. He did not offer additional details.
Hours earlier, France told the local Metro newspaper that it expects to begin withdrawing its troops out of Mali in March and leave African forces in control.
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said despite the withdrawal, troops will continue operations to flush out militants in “some terrorist havens” in northern Mali.
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