French-Armenian soldier killed in Mali during counterterrorism missionDecember 29, 2020 - 12:11 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - A roadside bomb in Mali killed French Armenian soldier Dorian Issakhanian on Monday December 28, according to the French government. The serviceman was part of France’s Operation Barkhane mission, which is fighting an Islamist extremist insurgency in Africa’s Sahel region, Voice of America reports. An armored vehicle carrying Issakhanian and two other troops struck the explosive device in the Hombori region of Mali, which left all three of them dead. They were working as part of a 5,000-troop mission "in an area where terrorist groups are attacking civilians and threatening the regional stability," according to Florence Parly, France’s defense minister. Forty-four other French soldiers have died since January 2013 when French troops began their mission in the Sahel. Jihadists have killed thousands of civilians and soldiers in recent years as they expanded their activities to other parts of the region, such as Burkina Faso and Niger. Top stories Six total incidents have burned 19 old-growth trees. Friday night 8 trees were torched along the beautiful main entrance. The EU does not intend to conduct military exercises with Armenia, Lead Spokesperson for EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Peter Stano says. Hikmet Hajiyev has said that there is no place for USAID operation in Azerbaijan any longer. A telephone conversation between Putin and Pashinyan before the CSTO summit is not planned, Peskov says. Partner news | Ex-Karabakh leader moved to solitary confinement cell in Baku, his son says David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. Freedom House concerned by mounting reports of police violence in Armenia Freedom House urged Armenian authorities to investigate this pattern of excessive force and inhumane treatment. Ex-President: Only removal of “defeatist” rulers can save Armenia Former Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan has shared a message on the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Pashinyan: We must stop searching for homeland, we have found that homeland Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has shared a message on the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. |