French military claims to have killed at least 10 extremists in Mali

French air power has killed at least 10 alleged terrorists in north-east Mali near the border with Algeria, local and foreign military sources said.

“French forces on Wednesday led at least one raid near Tinzaouatene, at the Algerian border, against the terrorists,” a Malian military source said.

“There were at least 10 deaths and two vehicles were destroyed.”

A former Malian army colonel, who had defected and was close to the extremists’ leader, was killed in the raid, according to an army statement.

The offensive was part of France’s Operation Barkhane, under way in Mali and four other former French colonies in West Africa – Mauritania, Niger, Chad and Burkina Faso.

These countries form the so-called G5 Sahel, a Frenchsupported group that last year launched a joint military force to combat extremist organisations.

Extremists linked to Al Qaeda took control of the desert north of Mali in early 2012, but were largely driven out in a Frenchled operation in January 2013.

However, large tracts of the country remain lawless despite a peace accord signed with ethnic Tuareg leaders in mid2015.

On Tuesday in Burkina Faso, a policeman was killed and two were injured in an attack at a village near the eastern town of Fada N’Gourma, in a region largely free from unrest.