A French soldier of the Serval operation in Mali stands in front of a Harfang drone at the French army base in Niamey. Photograph: Martin Bureau/AFP
France 24: French army carries out first-ever drone strike during Mali op
France's armed forces said Monday it had carried out a drone strike for the first time, during operations in Mali at the weekend in which it said 40 "terrorists" were killed.
On Saturday, French President Emmanuel Macron had announced that French forces had "neutralised" 33 jihadists in the central Malian region of Mopti, in an operation that had started the previous night.
In a statement, the French military command said the drone strike happened during a follow-up operation Saturday in which another seven jihadist fighters were killed.
As French commandos were searching the combat zone in Ouagadou forest, 150 kilometres (90 miles) from the town of Mopti, "they were attacked by a group of terrorists on motorbikes," the statement said.
A Reaper drone and a French Mirage 2000 patrol opened fire to support the ground troops, it said.
"This is the first operational strike by an armed drone," the statement said, confirming an earlier report published in the specialist blog Le Mamouth.
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WNU Editor: I disagree. I am not seeing the light at the end of the tunnel in this conflict .... 'We are at a turning point in war' against jihadism: French President Macron in Niger (France 24).
More News On France Announcing Its First-Ever Armed Drone Strike During A Military Operation In Mali
France Announces First Armed Drone Strike, Killing 7 Islamic Extremists in Mali -- Time/AP
France kills 7 in first armed drone strike as anti-jihadist mission in Mali drags on -- RT
France Just Became the Latest Country to Use Unmanned Combat Drones -- VICE News
