French troops kill at least 10 extremists in Mali, recover arms

PanARMENIAN.Net - French forces in Mali say that they have killed about 10 extremists and recovered arms and explosives after heavy fighting in the country's north near Niger, the Associated Press reports.

A statement from the French military sent early Wednesday, December 23, said the forces also seized pick-up trucks and a dozen motorcycles after four hours of fighting with al-Mourabitoun extremists in Mali's northeastern Menaka region on December 19 and 20.

The Islamic extremist group was the first to claim responsibility for the November 20 attack on the Radisson Blu hotel that killed 20 people. It said it worked with al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, saying it was their first joint operation.

A French-led operation pushed extremists from urban centers in northern Mali in 2013, but insecurity remains and extremists are launching attacks further south.