Niger June 2019 – French GCP Parachute Commando hunting Islamic State Jihadists

A too short but very interesting video by Paris Match magazine about the action of the GCP in Niger against the “Islamic State in the Greater Sahara” group. These GCP notably belong to the 3rd RPIMa (Parachute Marine Infantry). From June 7 to June 19, 2019, French troops of Opération Barkhane led the operation “Aconit” at the Mali-Niger border. They were alongside Malian and Niger troops and were supported by US (unspecified, most likely intelligence) and British (logistical) forces. According to the French Ministry of the Armies, this operation was launched at the request of Niger President Mahamadou Issoufou after the ambush of Baley Beri which had claimed the lives of 27 Niger soldiers on May 14, 2019. If the operation did not bring specific results in Niger (shown in this video), the outcome in Mali was more significant : around 20 jihadists were killed, five more were captured. Weapons, ammunitions, motorbikes, communication devices were also seized. 3 French soldiers we