LOC17:38
14:38 GMT
PARIS, Nov 26 (KUNA)-- A French soldier has died from wounds incurred during service in Mali, bringing to 12 the number of French troops killed in the conflict in that country since January 2013, official sources said Thursday.
The French President's office said that a paratrooper Staff Sergeant had been gravely injured along with two other soldiers when their vehicle drove over a mine in northern Mali last month. He did not recover from his injuries.
The dead soldier was later identified by the Defence Ministry as Staff Sergeant Alexis Guarato, 35, a 14-year-old veteran who had served in several areas, including Afghanistan.
At the height of its intervention in Mali, the French military had about 4,000 troops on duty there but has drawn this number down significantly as UN forces take over the peace-keeping mission there.
Germany has also just announced it is sending 650 troops to Mali to bolster European Union forces there.
France keeps about 1,000 troops based in Mali as part of "Operation Barkane," which is specifically set up to combat regional terrorism. (end)
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