Mali: French army announces having killed a woman during a pursuit

The staff of the armed forces announced it on Tuesday in a press release.

French soldiers killed a woman on Monday in the Gossi region of northern Mali as they pursued two people who had just abandoned a motorcycle carrying a weapon and ammunition.

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During a Franco-Malian reconnaissance mission "in an area where elements of an armed terrorist group had been detected east of Gossi", French soldiers detect "two individuals on motorcycles.

At the sight of the French and Malian soldiers, the two individuals abandon the motorbike "and flee towards an undergrowth, while" an abandoned assault rifle, ammunition and a military bag are discovered near the motorbike " , explains the staff.

The body buried there

The soldiers "initiate the pursuit of one of the two individuals in the woods.

Four warning shots were fired to stop him but the latter moved further away ”.

Then "the individual turns sharply towards the soldiers who apply a neutralization fire" and "discover that it is a woman", suspected of belonging to the fleeing crew of the motorcycle, he explains. -he.

"Residents of the nearest village are called to clarify the identity of this person" but "no one knows her," said the staff, specifying that the body was buried on the spot.

A command investigation was initiated "to clarify the exact sequence of events and to have a complete light on this combat action", concludes the press release.