France conducts another parachute drop in Sahara

[Zarvan]

A French soldier looks through the sight of a Javelin guided-missile system during Operation 'Kounama 5'. Source: French MoD
The French Army continues to carry out parachute drops as part of its 'Barkhane' counter-insurgency operation against Islamist militants operating in the Sahara.

The French Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on 3 September that the latest in a series of such drops had been carried out by its Groupement Tactique Désert-Est (Tactical Desert Group - East) during Operation 'Kounama 5', which ran from 19 to 29 August.

It said a total force of 90 soldiers from the 8ème Régiment de Parachutistes d'Infanterie de Marine, 17ème Régiment de Génie Parachutiste, and 35ème Régiment d'Artillerie Parachutiste were dropped into the desert in the far north of Niger at night by two C-160 Transall and one C-130 Hercules transport aircraft on 22 August.

The paratroopers then infiltrated into the Salvador Pass area on foot and set up positions so they were ready to go into action early on 23 August. Located on Niger's border with Algeria and Libya, the Salavador Pass is one of the main routes for trans-Sahara smugglers and has recently gained a reputation as a safe haven for Islamist militants.

The MoD said the intelligence provided by this force, as well as two Rafale jets flying a surveillance mission, allowed a mobile ground force consisting of Nigerien and French soldiers from the 3ème Régiment de Hussards to intervene and seize a pickup vehicle. The official account said four armed men were detained and individual weapons, radio communication equipment, and an unspecified quantity of drugs were seized.

Several similar parachute drops have already taken place in the same area: in April 2015, three platoons from the 2ème Régiment Étranger de Parachutistes jumped during Operation 'Kounama 2'. The same units that participated in the most recent operation also carried out a drop during Operation 'Kounama 4' from 20 July to 1 August. They were later joined by a motorised column from the 3e Hussard.

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France conducts another parachute drop in Sahara - IHS Jane's 360