French helicopter downed in Mali - A daring rescue

[Vergennes]

A Gazelle helicopter of Operation Barkhane was shot down by jihadists on 14 June on the border between Mali and Niger. The French General Staff spoke of an "emergency landing".

Friday, June 14, in the morning, the French soldiers fight in the heart of a jihadist hideout on the border between Mali and Niger. A French Gazelle helicopter was hit by 7.62 caliber Kalashnikov-PKM machine gun which caused a fire on the engine and then a loss of power,forcing the crew to make an emergency landing near the fightings on dusty ground and with low visibility,injuring three crew members.

The third member of the crew, a commando marksman, managed to pull the 2 pilots from the Gazelle,before a Tiger attack helicopter comes to assist them, at the risk of being also shot down.

But this two-seater helicopter is not designed for transport. French soldiers then apply an immediate extraction measure: The two most seriously wounded soldiers are strapped to the the landing gear by the commando who then blew up the crashed helicopter before being exfiltrated by another helicopter.

This event bears witness to the fierce fightings that have taken place in recent weeks on the border between Mali and Niger. On that day, 20 members of an armed group believed to belong to the Islamic State group for the Great Sahara were killed. Twenty motorcycles, weapons and means of communication were recovered, said the French staff.

The three soldiers wounded in the crash were able to join a military hospital in France.

http://www.rfi.fr/afrique/20190624-...abattu-dessus-mali-sauvetage-audacieux?ref=tw

@Vortex @Nilgiri @waz @UKBengali @vostok @Hamartia Antidote @nahtanbob @HRK @Dubious

 

[Vergennes]

 

[Vortex]

I wish quick recovery to our wounded soldiers.

All the aera should be cleaned from terrorists.

Salute to those soldiers who put their lives in risk for safety for France but also for the africans countries

 

[waz]

God speed to the troops, glad they’re ok.

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It says one came? I’d thought the Tigers would work in teams of around several.

 

[Kamil_baku]

why they put the helicopter there which is not protected by 7.62 bullet?

 

[Vergennes]

God speed to the troops, glad they’re ok.



It says one came? I’d thought the Tigers would work in teams of around several.

Generally they're acting in pair,the other one was probably still busy with providing in air support to the ground troops that were still involved in fierce fighting with the terrorists.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

Come on..buy yourselves some V22s!

These things are versatile due to their range. You can take off from Japan and drop a commando team on top of a skyscraper in Shanghai and fly back without even refueling. Same with Beijing from Korea.

 

[HRK]

But this two-seater helicopter is not designed for transport. French soldiers then apply an immediate extraction measure: The two most seriously wounded soldiers are strapped to the the landing gear by the commando who then blew up the crashed helicopter before being exfiltrated by another helicopter.

this is insane even by Pakistani standards .......

 

[Dubious]

But this two-seater helicopter is not designed for transport.

Why was it even sent then?

 

[Vergennes]

this is insane even by Pakistani standards .......

That sounds like something straight outta an action movie.

I can tell you another incredible story which saw an epic 120km/h chase between a terrorist convoy and French commandos aboard helicopters across the dunes few months ago in Mali.

After a long chase and warning shots,part of the convoy surrenders and terrorists are captured by the commandos.

However a pickup doesn't. Helicopters are short of fuel and have to go back to base,commandos can't chase the fleeing terrorists. That's where some commandos will steal a pickup from the captured terrorists to continue the chase.

After a long chase and feeling trapped,the terrorists get out of their vehicle and and open fire on the commandos. They will return fire and kill the terrorists. It will be known later that among the killed,there was a JNIM senior leader,Djamel Okacha.

 

[TNT]

I wish quick recovery to our wounded soldiers.

All the aera should be cleaned from terrorists.

Salute to those soldiers who put their lives in risk for safety for France but also for the africans countries

Why does france feel the need to clear the area? Why interfere? Maybe there would be less terrorist attacks in france if they stop interfering in other countries.

 

[Vortex]

Why does france feel the need to clear the area? Why interfere? Maybe there would be less terrorist attacks in france if they stop interfering in other countries.

Africans states requested France’s interventions. So go to their consulate in your country and ask them.

 

[TNT]

Africans states requested France’s interventions. So go to their consulate in your country and ask them.

Oh so nice of u spending so much money for others lolz. Do u ppl oblige anyone that asks for help?

 

[Vortex]

Oh so nice of u spending so much money for others lolz. Do u ppl oblige anyone that asks for help?

Study geopolitics. Is there any free lunch ?

 

[Pakhtoon yum]

I dont know but one question does pop up in ones mind. Wtf is France still doing in Africa? Arent these the same people that quote "cant persevere their own art so we the (the French) keep it in our museums"? They are still acting like a colonial power.