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| 13 French troops killed in helicopter crash in Mali | 13 French troops killed in helicopter crash in Mali |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Thirteen French soldiers were killed when two helicopters collided during an operation against jihadists in Mali, the French president's office said. | |
| The accident happened on Monday evening, according to a statement from the presidential palace. | |
| French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his "deep sadness" over the incident. | French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his "deep sadness" over the incident. |
| In 2013, France deployed thousands of troops to Mali after Islamist militants seized huge parts of the north. | |
| Mali's army has since recaptured the territory but insecurity there continues and the violence has spread to other countries in the region. | |
| France now has 4,500 troops deployed to support the forces of Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Burkina Faso and Chad against Islamist militants. | |
| "These 13 heroes had only one goal: to protect us," President Macron wrote in a tweet. "I bow to the pain of their loved ones and comrades." | |
| Another French soldier, Brigadier Ronan Pointeau, was killed earlier this month after an explosive device detonated near his vehicle. | Another French soldier, Brigadier Ronan Pointeau, was killed earlier this month after an explosive device detonated near his vehicle. |
| Monday's incident is thought to be the worst loss of French life since the country first intervened in Mali. | |
| In total 38 French soldiers have been killed in Mali since 2013. |