Thirteen French soldiers participating in Operation Barkhane in Mali were killed in a collision of two helicopters, RFI reported referring to the Champs-Élysées.

The crash occurred on Monday near the borders with Burkina Faso and Niger, during an operation against jihadists. The General Staff of the French army reported that, most likely, the helicopters collided at a low altitude.

French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his condolences to the relatives of the deceased French military, and also expressed support for the French military who are fighting with the Islamists in Mali. The President noted the courage of the military, killed for France.

As part of Operation Barkhane, four and a half thousand French troops are now in Mali. Since 2013, when Operation Serval began, more than 40 French troops were killed.