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French soldiers killed "more than 30 terrorists during several successive operations" near Mali's border with Burkina Faso, France's defense ministry announced on Friday.
In Gourma, a crossroad region in Mali's central belt that flanks the border with Burkina Faso, soldiers of the French Barkhane force killed about 20 militants and destroyed several vehicles on Thursday and Friday, the ministry said in a statement.
A drone and two helicopters had been involved in two strikes targeted area where the militants had been spotted, it added.
Ten more insurgents had been neutralized this week in the Liptako region, a stronghold of Islamic State.
"Success of Barkhane and Malian armed forces: more than 30 terrorists have been neutralized in the region," Florence Parly, Minister of Armed Forces tweeted.
"I salute the courage of our soldiers and of our Malian partners. Our efforts will continue in the Sahel region," she added.
Last week, France said it would send 600 more soldiers to the Africa's Sahel region, notably to the area between Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, in order to reinforce its military operation to uproot militants in the zone.
