France intervened militarily in Mali in 2013 to help government forces drive Al-Qaeda-linked jihadists out of the north. Local people had been fearful of reprisals by jihadists who suffered major losses in recent attacks in the region. They are targeting innocent civilians," he added, saying he viewed the bloodletting as a reprisal for attacks on jihadists by armed Tuareg groups. France intervened militarily in Mali in 2013 to help government forces drive Al-Qaeda-linked jihadists out of the north. French military sources announced 30 deaths in the troubled region after an April 1 confrontation near the Mali border between a French paratroop detachment fighting alongside Malian forces and some 60 jihadists.

Source: Daily Nation April 28, 2018 18:11 UTC