Three French soldiers have been killed in Libya, the defence ministry said on Wednesday, in the first official confirmation that France has troops in the conflict-ridden North African state.
"Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian regrets the loss of three French officers who died while on mission in Libya," the ministry said in a statement, without giving any details on the circumstances of their deaths.
Le Drian “lauds the bravery and devotion of French military personnel who each day are carrying out dangerous missions against terrorists," the statement added.
Earlier in the day, French government spokesman Stéphane Le Foll had acknowledged that special forces were operating in Libya, amid media reports of an incident involving French personnel in the country’s east.
"Special forces are there, of course, to help and to make sure France is present everywhere in the struggle against terrorists," Le Foll told reporters.
The confirmation by French officials comes a day after Libyan sources told The Associated Press that a helicopter carrying French special forces had been shot down on Sunday outside the eastern city of Benghazi.
The incident highlights the secretive nature of Western military involvement in the North African country, which has been torn between rival militias, governments and parliaments...
[FRANCE 24 with AP, REUTERS]
20/7/16
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"Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian regrets the loss of three French officers who died while on mission in Libya," the ministry said in a statement, without giving any details on the circumstances of their deaths.
Le Drian “lauds the bravery and devotion of French military personnel who each day are carrying out dangerous missions against terrorists," the statement added.
Earlier in the day, French government spokesman Stéphane Le Foll had acknowledged that special forces were operating in Libya, amid media reports of an incident involving French personnel in the country’s east.
"Special forces are there, of course, to help and to make sure France is present everywhere in the struggle against terrorists," Le Foll told reporters.
The confirmation by French officials comes a day after Libyan sources told The Associated Press that a helicopter carrying French special forces had been shot down on Sunday outside the eastern city of Benghazi.
The incident highlights the secretive nature of Western military involvement in the North African country, which has been torn between rival militias, governments and parliaments...
[FRANCE 24 with AP, REUTERS]
20/7/16
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Related:
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