ISIS claims French crash in Mali
(VOVWORLD) - An ISIS-affiliated group on Thursday claimed responsibility for a military helicopter collision that killed 13 French soldiers this week in Mali. This is the biggest loss the French army has suffered in the last four decades.
 A French soldier pays tribute to his 13 fellows killed in a helicopter collision in Mali. (Photo: Reuters) |
The Islamic State’s West Africa Province (ISWAP) said its fighters set an ambush for a convoy carrying French soldiers participating in the Barkhane counterinsurgency operation in Menaka region. Under fire, one helicopter was unable to land and collided with a second helicopter. The accident has increased France’s death toll in the Sahel region to 41 since it began a military intervention in 2013 to help the Malian government deal with jihadists.