French forces neutralised over 50 jihadists in central Mali during an operation on Friday, Defence Minister Florence Parly said on Monday.
"I would like to reveal an operation of great importance which was carried out on October 30 in Mali by the Barkhane force, which was able to neutralize more than 50 jihadists," Parly said on Mali state television during a visit to the West African nation. The offensive took place on Friday in an area near the borders of Burkina Faso and Niger, where government troops are struggling to rout an Islamic insurgency, she added.
Parly said it was a significant blow to al Qaeda.