13 French Soldiers Killed in Two Helicopter Crash in Mali

BAMAKO, Mali (AP) – Two helicopters collided in midair and killed 13 French soldiers fighting Islamic extremists in Mali, France said Tuesday, in its biggest loss since its mission in West Africa´s Sahel region began in 2013.

The deaths draw new attention to a worrying front in the global fight against extremism. Attackers linked to the Islamic State or al-Qaida this month alone have killed scores of local troops in the region and ambushed a convoy carrying employees of a Canadian mining company, leaving at least 37 dead.

French President Emmanuel Macron expressed “deep sadness” after the Monday evening crash. “These 13 heroes had only one goal: protecting us,” he tweeted.

The French military said both helicopters were flying very low when they collided and crashed in Mali´s Liptako region while supporting French commandos on the ground pursuing a group of extremists. No one on board survived. French defense minister Florence Parly said an investigation has been opened.

France´s operation in West and Central Africa is its largest overseas military mission and involves 4,500 personnel. France intervened in 2013 after extremists seized control of major towns in northern Mali and implemented a harsh version of Islamic law. They were forced back into the desert, where they have regrouped and moved south into more populated areas.

Since 2013, at least 44 French soldiers have died in the mission that has created little public debate in France.