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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/nov/26/helicopter-accident-french-troops-mali
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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| Helicopter accident leaves 13 French troops dead in Mali | Helicopter accident leaves 13 French troops dead in Mali |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Soldiers were taking part in operation against jihadists | Soldiers were taking part in operation against jihadists |
| Thirteen French soldiers have been killed in a helicopter accident while participating in an operation against jihadists in Mali. | Thirteen French soldiers have been killed in a helicopter accident while participating in an operation against jihadists in Mali. |
| The incident happened on Monday, the office of the French president, Emmanuel Macron, said in a statement. | The incident happened on Monday, the office of the French president, Emmanuel Macron, said in a statement. |
| France, the region’s former colonial power, has had about 4,500 combat troops in west Africa since 2012, when militants captured the city of Timbuktu and threatened to advance into the centre of Mali. | |
| The G5 Sahel, a joint taskforce, was created in 2014 to try to tackle the problem of groups with links to al-Qaida and Islamic State who from their stronghold in Mali have been able to strike across the Sahel, destabilising parts of Niger and Burkina Faso. | The G5 Sahel, a joint taskforce, was created in 2014 to try to tackle the problem of groups with links to al-Qaida and Islamic State who from their stronghold in Mali have been able to strike across the Sahel, destabilising parts of Niger and Burkina Faso. |
| The G5 Sahel is backed by France and has pooled troops from Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger since July 2017 in an effort to drive back the jihadist groups. | The G5 Sahel is backed by France and has pooled troops from Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger since July 2017 in an effort to drive back the jihadist groups. |
| A series of jihadist raids in late September underscored the increasing reach and sophistication of armed groups operating in the region. | A series of jihadist raids in late September underscored the increasing reach and sophistication of armed groups operating in the region. |
| Earlier this month, Islamic militants killed dozens of Malian soldiers in one of the deadliest strikes against the country’s military in recent memory. |