Fresh 500 Strong French Contingent Arrives in Bamako, Mali
Another 500-strong French contingent arrived on Monday night in Bamako to back their compatriots already on the Malian soil combating Islamist militants, Malian security sources told APA.
These new troops coming from Senegal by road will bring to 4,100 the number of French soldiers deployed in the West African country.
France launched a military intervention in Mali on January 11 which enables Malian regular forces’ to recapture two thirds of the country’s territory that were under the control of Islamist groups affiliated to Al Qaeda in Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) since March 2012.
Over the last few days, the French air forces have been carrying out heavy strikes on the key rocky areas of Adrar Ifoghas in the far-north, an area which is believed to serve as hideouts for the militants’ leaders.
The seven French abducted by the Islamists in the Sahel are even thought to be held in the same area.
Source African Press Agency
African News from NetNewsPublisher.com
Category: Africa
