Operation Serval (french: Opération Serval) was a French military operation in

Mali Mali (; ), officially the Republic of Mali,, , ff, 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞥆𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 𞤃𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭, Renndaandi Maali, italics=no, ar, جمهورية مالي, Jumhūriyyāt Mālī is a landlocked country in West Africa. Ma ...

. The aim of the operation was to oust Islamic militants from the north of Mali, who had begun a push into the center of Mali. Operation Serval followed the

United Nations Security Council The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international peace and security, recommending the admission of new UN members to the General Assembly, ...

Resolution 2085 of 20 December 2012 and an official request by the Malian interim government for French military assistance.Security Council Authorizes Deployment of African-led International Support Mission in Mali for Initial Year-Long Period
(full text of the resolution) The operation ended on 15 July 2014, and was replaced by Operation Barkhane, launched on 1 August 2014 to fight Islamist fighters in the Sahel. Three of the five Islamic leaders, Abdelhamid Abou Zeid, Abdel Krim and Omar Ould Hamaha were killed, while Mokhtar Belmokhtar fled to

Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Suda ...

and Iyad ag Ghali fled to

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...

. The operation is named after the serval, a medium-sized African wild cat.

Background

In January 2012, following an influx of weapons that occurred after the

Libyan Civil War Demographics of Libya is the demography of Libya, specifically covering population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, and religious affiliations, as well as other aspects of the Libyan population. The ...

Tuareg The Tuareg people (; also spelled Twareg or Touareg; endonym: ''Imuhaɣ/Imušaɣ/Imašeɣăn/Imajeɣăn'') are a large Berber ethnic group that principally inhabit the Sahara in a vast area stretching from far southwestern Libya to southern Al ...

tribesmen of the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) began a rebellion against Mali's central government. In April, the MNLA said it had accomplished its goals and called off its offensive against the government, proclaiming the independence of

Azawad Azawad, or Azawagh (Tuareg: Azawaɣ, or Azawad; ar, أزواد) was a short-lived unrecognised state from 2012 to 2013. Azawagh (''Azawaɣ'') is the generic Tuareg Berber name of all Tuareg Berber areas, especially the northern half of Mal ...

. In June 2012, the MNLA came into conflict with the Islamist groups Ansar Dine and the

Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa The Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (abbreviated MOJWA) or the Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa (abbreviated MUJWA; ar, جماعة التوحيد والجهاد في غرب أفريقيا ''Jamāʿat at-tawḥīd wal-jih ...

(MOJWA), after the Islamists began imposing

Sharia Sharia (; ar, شريعة, sharīʿa ) is a body of religious law that forms a part of the Islamic tradition. It is derived from the religious precepts of Islam and is based on the sacred scriptures of Islam, particularly the Quran and the H ...

in Azawad. By 17 July,

MOJWA The Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (abbreviated MOJWA) or the Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa (abbreviated MUJWA; ar, جماعة التوحيد والجهاد في غرب أفريقيا ''Jamāʿat at-tawḥīd wal-jih ...

and Ansar Dine had pushed the MNLA out of all the major cities. On 1 September 2012, the town of

Douentza Douentza (Fulfulde: ''Duwayⁿsa'') is a town and urban commune in the Mopti Region of central Mali. The town lies 145 km east-northeast of Mopti on the RN16, a paved road that links Mopti and Gao. It is the administrative center of the D ...

in the Mopti Region, until then controlled by the Ganda Iso militia, was taken by the MOJWA, and on 28 November 2012, the MNLA was pushed out of Léré, Timbuktu Region, by Ansar Dine.

Forces committed

French Forces

French Air Force

Initially, the

French Air Force The French Air and Space Force (AAE) (french: Armée de l'air et de l'espace, ) is the air and space force of the French Armed Forces. It was the first military aviation force in history, formed in 1909 as the , a service arm of the French Ar ...

deployed two Mirage F1 CR Reconnaissance from the 2/33 ''Savoie'' Reconnaissance Squadron and six

Mirage 2000D The Dassault Mirage 2000N is a variant of the Mirage 2000 designed for nuclear strike. It formed the core of the French air-based strategic nuclear deterrent. The Mirage 2000D is its conventional attack counterpart. Development The Mirage ...

fighter jets, which were already part of the French military Opération Épervier in

Chad Chad (; ar, تشاد , ; french: Tchad, ), officially the Republic of Chad, '; ) is a landlocked country at the crossroads of North and Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic ...

. Additionally, the Air Force deployed three

KC-135 Stratotanker The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an American military aerial refueling aircraft that was developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype, alongside the Boeing 707 airliner. It is the predominant variant of the C-135 Stratolifter family of trans ...

planes, as well as one

C-130 Hercules The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally desi ...

and one Transall C-160 transport planes from the French airbase in N'Djamena. On 13 January, four Rafale fighter jets of the 1/7 ''Provence'' Fighter Squadron flew from the Saint-Dizier Airbase in France to attack targets in the city of Gao. The Rafale planes then proceeded to N'Djamena and would remain based there for the duration of the conflict. By 16 January, the French Air Force dispatched two additional KC-135 Stratotanker planes and two Harfang UAVs from the 1/33 ''Belfort'' Reconnaissance Squadron to N'Djamena. To transport Army troops to Bamako, the Air Force used the Airbus A310 and

A340 The Airbus A340 is a long-range, wide-body A wide-body aircraft, also known as a twin-aisle aircraft, is an airliner with a fuselage wide enough to accommodate two passenger aisles with seven or more seats abreast. The typical fuselage d ...

of the 3/60 ''Estérel'' Transport Squadron. On 23 January, a detachment of Fusiliers Commandos de l'Air was deployed to the airport in Bamako to provide security for the French Air Force assets stationed there and to execute

combat search and rescue Combat search and rescue (CSAR) are search and rescue operations that are carried out during war that are within or near combat zones. A CSAR mission may be carried out by a task force of helicopters, ground-attack aircraft, aerial refueling ...

missions if necessary. Along with the Fusiliers, the Air Force deployed two Puma helicopters of the 1/67 ''Pyrénées'' Helicopter Squadron in the combat search and rescue role to Bamako. On 25 January, the Air Force deployed two additional Rafale fighter jets and two additional KC-135 Stratotanker planes to N'Djamena, bringing the total to six Rafale jets and 5 KC-135's in the theater of operations. Transall C-160 transport planes from the 1/64 ''Béarn'' and 2/64 ''Anjou'' squadrons and C-130H Hercules transport planes from the 2/61 ''Franche Comté'' squadrons were used to ferry materiel to Bamako, while Transall C-160 transport planes from the 3/61 ''Poitou'' Transport Squadron flew reinforcements to the airport of Gao.

French Army

French Army History Early history The first permanent army, paid with regular wages, instead of feudal levies, was established under Charles VII of France, Charles VII in the 1420 to 1430s. The Kings of France needed reliable troops during and after the ...

forces deployed included one company of the 21st Marine Infantry Regiment, an Armored Cavalry platoon of the

1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment The 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment () is the only cavalry regiment of the Foreign Legion in the French Army. It is one of two armoured cavalry regiments of the 6th Light Armoured Brigade. The regiment recently moved camp after being stationed a ...

and one company of the 2nd Marine Infantry Regiment. On 14 January, the French Army Light Aviation transported Eurocopter Tiger HAP attack helicopters from the 5^e Régiment d'Hélicoptères de Combat to Mali. A company from the 3rd Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment and soldiers from the

1st Parachute Hussar Regiment The 1st Parachute Hussar Regiment (french: 1er Régiment de Hussards Parachutistes, 1er RHP) is an airborne cavalry unit in the French Army, founded in 1720 by Hungarian noble Ladislas Ignace de Bercheny. It is stationed in Tarbes and is a p ...

and the 17th Parachute Engineer Regiment, which are all currently deployed as part of

Opération Licorne Opération Licorne was a French Armed Forces peacekeeping operation in support of the United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire. The French forces had been stationed in the country since shortly after the outbreak of the Ivorian Civil War. Th ...

Ivory Coast Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital is Yamoussoukro, in the centre of the country, while its largest city and economic centre i ...

, left

Abidjan Abidjan ( , ; N’ko: ߊߓߌߖߊ߲߬) is the economic capital of the Ivory Coast. As of the 2021 census, Abidjan's population was 6.3 million, which is 21.5 percent of overall population of the country, making it the sixth most populous city p ...

in a convoy of 60 vehicles for the Malian capital of

Bamako Bamako ( bm, ߓߡߊ߬ߞߐ߬ ''Bàmakɔ̌'', ff, 𞤄𞤢𞤥𞤢𞤳𞤮 ''Bamako'') is the capital and largest city of Mali, with a 2009 population of 1,810,366 and an estimated 2022 population of 2.81 million. It is located on the Niger Rive ...

. The Commander of the French Land Forces, General Bertrand Clément-Bollée, announced that a company of the 92nd Infantry Regiment, equipped with

VBCI The Véhicule Blindé de Combat d'Infanterie (English: ''Armoured Infantry Fighting Vehicle'') or VBCI is a French Infantry fighting vehicle designed and manufactured by GIAT Industries (now Nexter Systems) and Renault Trucks Defense to replace ...

Infantry fighting vehicle An infantry fighting vehicle (IFV), also known as a mechanized infantry combat vehicle (MICV), is a type of armoured fighting vehicle used to carry infantry into battle and provide direct-fire support. The 1990 Treaty on Conventional Armed F ...

s, has been sent to Mali. An additional three companies equipped with

and one squadron equipped with Leclerc

main battle tank A main battle tank (MBT), also known as a battle tank or universal tank, is a tank that fills the role of armor-protected direct fire and maneuver in many modern armies. Cold War-era development of more powerful engines, better suspension sys ...

s could be sent on short notice if required. An armored company of the Marine Infantry Tank Regiment is being deployed to Mali as are

CAESAR self-propelled howitzer The CAmion Équipé d'un Système d'ARtillerie (English: ''Truck equipped with an artillery system'') or CAESAR3rd Marine Infantry Regiment arrived in Bamako to provide security for the allied airhead. Ground operations are commanded by Brigadier General Bernard Barrera, commanding officer of the 3rd Mechanized Brigade. The following units of the French Army were involved in Mali during the first period of operation: * 3^e Brigade Mécanisée (3^e BM), deployed from France and tasked with command of the ground operations ** Brigade Command & Signals Company ** 1^er Régiment d'Infanterie de Marine (1^er RIMa), one squadron with AMX 10 RC ** 92^e Régiment d'Infanterie (92^e RI), two companies with

** 126^e Régiment d'Infanterie (126^e RI), one company with VAB ** 68^e Régiment d'Artillerie d'Afrique (68^e RA), regimental command and one battery with CAESAR self-propelled 155mm howitzers ** 31^e Régiment du Génie (31^e RG), one company * 6^e Brigade Légère Blindée (6^e BLB), redeployed from Opération Épervier ** 1^er Régiment Étranger de Cavalerie (1^er REC), one platoon with AMX 10 RC ** 21^e Régiment d'Infanterie de Marine (21^e RIMa), two companies with VAB ** 3^e Régiment d'Artillerie de Marine (3^e RAMa), one battery with

TRF1 The TRF1 is a 155mm French towed howitzer produced by Nexter (ex Giat Industries) and used by the French Army. The TRF1 was showcased in 1979 at the Eurosatory arms trade show, as a replacement for Armée de Terre's BF-50. Giat produced it fro ...

155mm howitzers and MO-120-RT-61 120mm mortars deployed from France on 21 January * 9^e Brigade Légère Blindée de Marine (9^e BLBM), deployed from France ** Régiment d'Infanterie Chars de Marine (RICM), one squadron with AMX 10 RC ** 2^e Régiment d'Infanterie de Marine (2^e RIMa), one company with

** 3^e Régiment d'Infanterie de Marine (3^e RIMa), one company with VAB ** 11^e Régiment d'Artillerie de Marine (11^e RAMa), one battery with

155mm howitzers and MO-120-RT-61 120mm mortars ** 6^e Régiment du Génie (6^e RG), one company * 11^e Brigade Parachutiste (11^e BP), redeployed from

** 1^er Régiment de Hussards Parachutistes (1^er RHP), one troop with ERC 90 Sagaie ** 1^er Régiment de Chasseurs Parachutistes (1^er RCP), two companies transported to Kidal from France ** 2^e Régiment Etranger Parachutiste (2^e REP), one company parachuted near

Timbuktu Timbuktu ( ; french: Tombouctou; Koyra Chiini: ); tmh, label=Tuareg, script=Tfng, ⵜⵏⴱⴾⵜ, Tin Buqt a city in Mali, situated north of the Niger River. The town is the capital of the Tombouctou Region, one of the eight administrativ ...

and was deployed from France ** 3^e Régiment de Parachutistes d'Infanterie de Marine (3^e RPIMa), one company ** 17^e Régiment du Génie Parachutiste (17^e RGP), one platoon ** 1^er Régiment du Train Parachutiste (1^er RTP), one platoon *Airmobile group ** 5^e Régiment d'Hélicoptères de Combat (5^e RHC), with three

Eurocopter Tiger The Eurocopter Tiger is a four-blade, twin-engine attack helicopter which first entered service in 2003. It is manufactured by Airbus Helicopters (formerly Eurocopter), which arose from the merger of Aérospatiale's and DASA's respective helic ...

attack helicopters and four Eurocopter AS532 Cougar transport helicopters ** 9^e Bataillon de soutien aéromobile, with one Pilatus PC-6 Porter aircraft * Logistics battalion ** 7^e Régiment du Matériel (7^e RMAT), one company ** 511^e Régiment du Train (511^e RT), one squadron ** 515^e Régiment du Train (515^e RT), one squadron * 28^e Régiment de Transmissions (28^e RT), one company * Régiment Médical (RMED), 7th and 9th

field hospital A field hospital is a temporary hospital or mobile medical unit that takes care of casualties on-site before they can be safely transported to more permanent facilities. This term was initially used in military medicine (such as the Mobile Ar ...

s in Bamako and

Sévaré Sévaré (or Sevare) is a town in the Mopti Region of Mali. It is a crossroads town of about 40,000 situated about southeast of Mopti and south of Fatoma, the old capital of Kunaari. From Sévaré one can access Bandiagara to the east, Gao ...

At the end of May 2013, the French Army began to draw down its forces in Mali. For further combat operations, a mixed combat group named ''GTIA Désert'' (Groupement tactique interarmes Désert) was activated in Gao, on 20 May 2013. Only this combat group will remain in the area for further combat operations and to support the MISMA, MINUSMA and EUTM Mali missions, as well as the Malian Army. The ''GTIA Désert'' is composed of the following units: * Headquarters and Command of the 2^e Régiment Étranger d'Infanterie (2^e REI) ** 1^er Régiment Étranger de Cavalerie (1^er REC), one troop with AMX 10 RC ** 1^er Régiment de Tirailleurs (1^er RTIR), one company with VBCI ** 2^e Régiment Étranger d'Infanterie (2^e REI), one company with VAB ** 3^e Régiment d'Artillerie de Marine (3^e RAMa), a mixed unit armed with CAESAR self-propelled 155mm howitzers and 120mm mortars deployed ** 1^er Régiment Étranger de Génie (1^er REG), one sapper company, one EOD squad

French Navy

The

French Navy The French Navy (french: Marine nationale, lit=National Navy), informally , is the maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the five military service branches of France. It is among the largest and most powerful naval forces in t ...

deployed five

Breguet Atlantic Breguet or Bréguet may refer to: * Breguet (watch), watch manufacturer **Abraham-Louis Breguet (1747–1823), Swiss watchmaker **Louis-François-Clement Breguet (1804–1883), French physicist, watchmaker, electrical and telegraph work * Brégue ...

long-range reconnaissance aircraft operating from

Dakar Dakar ( ; ; wo, Ndakaaru) (from daqaar ''tamarind''), is the capital and largest city of Senegal. The city of Dakar proper has a population of 1,030,594, whereas the population of the Dakar metropolitan area is estimated at 3.94 million in 2 ...

Senegal Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 ...

and transported two companies of the 92nd Infantry Regiment along with their equipment and military materiel on the amphibious assault ship from

Toulon Toulon (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Tolon , , ) is a city on the French Riviera and a large port on the Mediterranean coast, with a major naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, and the Provence province, Toulon is th ...

. ''Dixmude'' was escorted on her journey by the

corvette A corvette is a small warship. It is traditionally the smallest class of vessel considered to be a proper (or " rated") warship. The warship class above the corvette is that of the frigate, while the class below was historically that of the slo ...

''Lieutenant de vaisseau Le Hénaff''.

Special Forces

Commandement des Opérations Spéciales The Commandement des Opérations Spéciales ( en, Special Operations Command) or COS is a joint staff charged with overseeing the various special forces of the French Army, Navy and Air and Space Force, bringing them all under a single operation ...

(COS) ** Brigade des Forces Spéciales Terre (BFST)(Army) *** 1^er Régiment de Parachutistes d'Infanterie de Marine (1^er RPIMa) *** 13^e Régiment de Dragons Parachutistes (13^e RDP) *** 4^e Régiment d'Hélicoptères des Forces Spéciales (4^e RHFS) ** FORFUSCO (Navy) *** Commandos Marine ** Air Force Special Forces Bureau (BFS) (Air Force) *** Commando parachutiste de l'air n°10 (CPA 10) *** Division des Opérations Spéciales/Transport (D3/61 Poitou), C-130 Hercules and C-160 Transall *** Division des Opérations Spéciales / Hélicoptères (ESH)

National Gendarmerie

The French National Gendarmerie deployed two platoons of gendarmes to Mali in the

military police Military police (MP) are law enforcement agencies connected with, or part of, the military of a state. In wartime operations, the military police may support the main fighting force with force protection, convoy security, screening, rear rec ...

role: * 24/1 Mobile Gendarmerie Squadron, one platoon * 21/9 Mobile Gendarmerie Squadron, one platoon

Intelligence

DGSE Service Action

Allied nations

Istres French Soldiers USAF Globemaster III Mali 130121-F-GO452-162

Assisting the French in Mali 130121-F-MS171-200

These are the forces committed by the countries that support France (in alphabetical order): * : The Belgian Army deployed two Air Component C-130H Hercules transport planes and two Medical Component Agusta A109 Medevac medical evacuation helicopters along with 80 support personnel to Mali. * : A

Royal Canadian Air Force The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environm ...

C-17ER Globemaster III deployed to France to assist with the transport of troops and materiel from France to Mali for one week. According to French Ambassador to Canada Philippe Zeller, the Government of France had requested former Prime Minister

Stephen Harper Stephen Joseph Harper (born April 30, 1959) is a Canadian politician who served as the 22nd prime minister of Canada from 2006 to 2015. Harper is the first and only prime minister to come from the modern-day Conservative Party of Canada, ...

to extend the Canadian deployment. * : On 16 January, the Chadian government announced that it would deploy 2,000 troops: one infantry regiment with 1,200 soldiers and two support battalions with 800 soldiers. The Chadian forces will not be part of the

African-led International Support Mission to Mali The African-led International Support Mission to Mali (AFISMA) is an Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) organized military mission sent to support the government of ECOWAS member nation Mali against Islamist rebels in the Norther ...

, but will be integrated into the French command structure. * : A Royal Danish Air Force C-130J-30 Super Hercules with 40 support personnel was deployed on 15 January to Mali. * : Three

German Air Force The German Air Force (german: Luftwaffe, lit=air weapon or air arm, ) is the aerial warfare branch of the , the armed forces of Germany. The German Air Force (as part of the ''Bundeswehr'') was founded in 1956 during the era of the Cold War as ...

Transall C-160 were deployed to the Malian capital Bamako to help with the transport of equipment. On 28 February 2013, the German parliament approved sending up to 330 German soldiers to provide engineer mentoring, logistical and medical service to the operation as well as one additional

A310 MRTT The Airbus A310 MRTT Multi-Role Tanker Transport is a military air-to-air refuelling, or in-flight refuelling tanker transport aircraft, capable of operating multi-role missions. The A310 MRTT tanker aircraft is a subsequent development from ...

air-to-air refueling plane. * : Initially, the Dutch government decided to deploy a Royal Netherlands Air Force

KDC-10 The McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender is an American aerial refueling tanker aircraft operated by the United States Air Force (USAF). A military version of the three-engine DC-10 airliner, the KC-10 was developed from the Advanced Tanker Cargo A ...

tanker/transport plane. For its first flight, the aircraft picked up its supplies in France and proceeded to N'Djamena in

,where the French military have a logistic support hub. After 14 January 2013, the Dutch began to fly directly into

. Later, the Dutch contribution was increased by an additional

tanker/transport plane, four

transport planes, three CH-47 Chinook transport and Medevac helicopters and one DC-10 passenger plane. * : A

Spanish Air Force , colours = , colours_label = , march = Spanish Air and Space Force Anthem , mascot = , anniversaries = 10 December , equipment ...

with 50 support personnel was deployed on 18 January to Mali to help with the transport of

personnel. Spain later added a C-295 plane to assist in troop movements in Mali. An additional 30 soldiers were sent on 13 February to protect allied instructors. * : The Swedish government allowed France the use of the Swedish share of the NATO Strategic Airlift Capability. Therefore, one Heavy Airlift Wing C-17 Globemaster III strategic transport plane was dispatched from the

Pápa Air Base Pápa Air Base is a military airbase located near Pápa, Hungary. The building of the airport started in 1936. The Hungarian Air Force has three active air bases, and is the only active air base in western Hungary. During World War II, severa ...

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Cr ...

to France to aid in the transport of materiel and troops to Mali. Also, six Swedish parachute rangers from

Fallskärmsjägarna The 323rd Parachute Ranger Squadron ( sv, 323. Fallskärmsjägarskvadron) or ''Fallskärmsjägarna'' (English: "Parachute Rangers" or "Airborne Rangers") is a Swedish military special operations capable airborne ranger unit specialising in long-r ...

will assist as instructors for Mali's armed forces. * : The United Arab Emirates Air Force deployed two C-17 Globemaster III transport planes to aid in the transport of materiel and troops from France to Mali. * : The

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...

deployed two C-17 Globemaster III strategic transport planes of No. 99 Squadron to the French Évreux Air Base on 13 January 2013. The planes transported French armored vehicles to the Malian capital

in what the British are calling

Operation Newcombe Operation Newcombe was the code name for two separate and concurrent British non-combat military operations in Mali. One operation involved logistical and airlift support for the French-led Operation Barkhane (previously Operation Serval), whil ...

. On 25 January 2013, the UK Ministry of Defence announced the deployment of a

Sentinel R1 The Raytheon Sentinel is an airborne battlefield and ground surveillance aircraft formerly operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF). While based on the Bombardier Global Express ultra long-range business jet, the prime contractor for the Sentine ...

surveillance aircraft to support French forces. The British government announced on 28 January that British troops will deploy to Mali, but that they would not be involved in combat. According to the BBC, on 29 January 2013, it was understood that 40 British advisers were to operate within Mali, and more in other nations, making a total of 350. There was a debate about whether these advisers should be protected by French forces, or by British troops - the latter would result in a deployment of "multiples of dozens". * : The

US Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Sig ...

has established an air bridge between the Istres-Le Tubé Air Base in the South of France and Malian capital Bamako, using up to five C-17 Globemaster III transport planes to ferry French equipment and troops to Mali. A small contingent of American troops will provide flight support operations at Bamako. On 26 January, US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta informed French Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian that the "US Africa Command will support the French military by conducting aerial refueling missions as operations in Mali continue". Over the course of Operation Serval, up to 5 US KC-135 were deployed to conduct Air Refueling missions with French Mirage and Rafales including an impressive 100 sorties in less than two months. US covert ISR aircraft based in Burkina Faso supported the operation. ''ABC News'' reported that 150 U.S. military personnel set up and carried out an operation involving surveillance drone over Mali from Niamey.

Operations

The operation began on 11 January 2013, with

Gazelle helicopters armed with 20 mm cannons from the

4th Special Forces Helicopter Regiment The 4e Régiment d'Hélicoptères des Forces Spéciales ( en, 4th Special Forces Helicopter Regiment) or 4e RHFS is a special operations unit of the French Army Light Aviation. It is part of the French Army Special Forces Command, therefore of th ...

attacking a rebel column near

. French forces suffered one casualty when a Gazelle attack helicopter came under small arms fire and one of the two pilots was hit. The pilot, Lt. Damien Boiteux, later died of his injuries. The other pilot managed to fly the helicopter back to base, but the aircraft was written off as lost due to the damage sustained. By 12 January, hundreds of French troops were involved in the military operation in Mali, with special focus in the Battle of Konna. The Malian army claimed that, with their help, it had retaken

Konna Konna is a town and rural commune in the Cercle of Mopti in the Mopti Region of Mali. The town lies 60 km northeast of Mopti on the eastern edge of the flood plain of the Niger River. The main RN16 highway linking Sévaré and Gao branche ...

, which it had lost a few days earlier. French airstrikes appeared to stop the rebel advance to the south which prompted the intervention and destroyed an Ansar Dine command post near Konna. France asked the U.S. to speed up its contribution by sending drones to improve surveillance over the vast area of northern Mali.

The Pentagon The Pentagon is the headquarters building of the United States Department of Defense. It was constructed on an accelerated schedule during World War II. As a symbol of the U.S. military, the phrase ''The Pentagon'' is often used as a metony ...

was reported to have studied the French request. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom announced that his country would lend logistical support to the operation. ECOWAS troops preparing to deploy to Mali also decided to move up their arrival date to 14 January at the latest. According to

Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization, headquartered in New York City, that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. The group pressures governments, policy makers, companies, and individual human ...

, 10 civilians were killed when Malian forces fought to recapture Konna. On 13 January, French planes bombed rebels' positions in Gao. Air strikes hit a fuel depot and a customs house being used as a headquarters by the Islamist rebels. Dozens of Islamist fighters were killed. A Malian security source put the number of dead fighters at 60. On 15 January, the French defense minister confirmed that the Mali military had still not recaptured Konna from rebel forces, despite earlier claims that they did. On 15 January, French special forces entered the strategically important central town of Markala, describing it as "secured" on 19 January. The French and Malian forces launched a major ground offensive into the North of the country for the first time on 16 January. Along with French help, Malian forces took back control of Konna on 18 January. On 21 January, the Malian military, with the aid of French air support, took possession of Diabaly. The next day, Chadian forces began moving from Niger's capital city, Niamey, to Ouallam, a position some one-hundred kilometers south of the Malian border. On 25 January, it was reported that a combined force of French and Malian troops captured the town of Hombori, about 100 miles south of Gao. French forces also bombed Islamist troops and their supply stores around Gao. This resulted in the destruction of two Islamist bases with fuel stocks and weapon dumps. On the morning 26 January, French forces captured the airport at Gao and seized the main Wabary bridge over the Niger River into Gao. French special forces were also in action against rebels that had melted into the local population. During the next few hours, the French-Malian forces assaulted the town of Gao, backed by French warplanes and helicopters. The Islamists lost a dozen fighters, while the French suffered no losses or injuries. A Malian army spokesman said on 27 January that the "Malian army and the French control Gao today". On the 27 January, French forces captured

without resistance after Islamist fighters fled the city to avoid French airstrikes. In capturing Timbuktu, documents left by AQIM were found revealing the strategic organization of the group. After gaining the airport on 27 January, the next day, Malian and French military sources claimed that the entire area between Gao and

was under government control and access to the city was available. French Serval Brigade ORBAT Feb 2013

Three days after capturing Timbuktu, French and Malian forces entered the town of Kidal on 30 January, approximately 200 kilometers from the Algerian border. The town and its airport were taken without resistance from Islamic militants. It was the last major town to be held by the militants. Despite the capture of all major towns, French and Malian forces clashed with Islamists outside Gao on 5 February. Several French troops suffered light wounds during the skirmish, which involved long-range small arms and rocket fire. On 8 February, French and Chadian troops claimed to have occupied the town of Tessalit, near the Algerian border, and seat of one of the last airports still not controlled by the Malian government and its allies. The same day, the first

suicide attack A suicide attack is any violent attack, usually entailing the attacker detonating an explosive, where the attacker has accepted their own death as a direct result of the attacking method used. Suicide attacks have occurred throughout histor ...

in the conflict took place in Gao, resulting in one Malian soldier injured and the death of the attacker. On 10 February, the Islamists made an attack in Gao, which was countered by French and Malian troops securing the nearby area of Bourem on 17 February. On 19 February, a French soldier (member of the

French Foreign Legion The French Foreign Legion (french: Légion étrangère) is a corps of the French Army which comprises several specialties: infantry, cavalry, engineers, airborne troops. It was created in 1831 to allow foreign nationals into the French Army ...

) was killed during heavy fighting in the

Adrar des Ifoghas The Adrar des Ifoghas (also Adrar des Iforas; Tamasheq: ⴰⴷⵔⴰⵔ ⵏ ⵉⴼⵓⵖⴰⵙ in Tifinagh; Adrar n Ifoghas; ar, أدرار إيفوغاس Ifoghas' Mountains) is a massif located in the Kidal Region of Mali, reaching into Algeri ...

mountains in the far North East of

near the Algerian border. On 3 March, a French paratrooper was killed in the same area and the Chadian army announced the killing of the two Islamic Algerian leaders, Abdelhamid Abou Zeid and Mokhtar Belmokhtar. This was not confirmed by the French army. On 5 March, the death of Abou Zeid was confirmed by a member of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). On 6 March, a French Army sergeant from the 68th African artillery regiment was killed during an operation in eastern Mali around 100 km (60 miles) from the town of Gao, the former stronghold of the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MOJWA). On 17 March, a corporal from the 1st Marine Infantry Regiment was killed when his vehicle was hit by an

Improvised explosive device An improvised explosive device (IED) is a bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional military action. It may be constructed of conventional military explosives, such as an artillery shell, attached to a detonating mecha ...

in the south of Tessalit in the Adrar des Ifoghas massif. Three other soldiers were wounded by the explosion. On 30 March, the city of

was attacked when a suicide bomber blew himself up at a Malian army checkpoint, allowing a group of rebels to infiltrate by night. A contingent of around fifty French soldiers supported by French fighter jets were then sent to reinforce the Malian army who could not repel the rebel attack. By 1 April, rebel presence in the city was cleared. On 12 April, two suicide bombers detonated their belts, blowing themselves up near a group of Chadian soldiers, in a busy market in Kidal. At least three soldiers were killed in the explosion and a dozen of civilians were wounded. On 11 May 2013, the command of ground operations of in Mali passed from the 3^e Brigade Mécanisée to the 6^e Brigade Légère Blindée. On 25 May 2013, French forces began their first stage of withdrawal when a convoy of lorries left

for

, carrying equipment and vehicles no longer needed. On 30 July, a French soldier was killed in a vehicle accident and a second soldier suffered injuries. This marked the ninth death among French soldiers killed in support of operations in Mali. The second in command of

AQIM Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb ( ar-at, تنظيم القاعدة في بلاد المغرب الإسلامي, Tanẓīm al-Qā'idah fī Bilād al-Maghrib al-Islāmī), or AQIM, is an Islamist militant organization (of al-Qaeda) that aims to o ...

, Hacene Ould Khalill, was killed during a raid by French special forces near Tessalit in November 2013.

Battle of Dayet in Maharat

On the evening of 16 April 2014, the French army destroyed two

pickup truck A pickup truck or pickup is a light-duty truck that has an enclosed cabin, and a back end made up of a cargo bed that is enclosed by three low walls with no roof (this cargo bed back end sometimes consists of a tailgate and removable covering) ...

s containing jihadists north of Timbuktu. They then used air and ground forces to intercept other vehicles. During the night of 16 to 17 April, the French special forces, backed by troops from Operation Serval and helicopters come in contact with the Islamist fighters. The French began by firing warning shots, but the jihadists refused to surrender and opened fire. Faced with the advance of the French military, they abandoned their vehicles and ran, suffering more losses. According to the French Ministry of Defense "part of the terrorist group" is "neutralized. According to the staff of the armies, a dozen fighters are neutralized, that is to say killed.Ministère de la Défense : ''Mali : libération de cinq otages maliens''

/ref> A number of hostages were abandoned by their jihadist captors at the beginning of the fight. The former hostages were then exfiltrated by the French military. Those released were Malians and four Tuaregs. On the evening of 17 April, in a joint statement, the French president and the president of Mali, announced the release of five hostages. The ICRC also published a statement in which he welcomed the release and said that two humanitarian workers had suffered minor injuries but their life was not in danger.

Reactions

In the wake of the French deployment, ECOWAS said that it had ordered its

to be deployed immediately, and the European Union said it had increased preparations for sending a military training mission, EUTM Mali. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon hoped on 12 January that the French government's decision would "be consistent with the spirit" of UN Security Council resolution 2085 adopted in December.

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...

n foreign ministry spokesman Amar Belani expressed support for the Malian transitional authorities, and "noted that Mali has asked, in line with its sovereignty, for friendly powers to reinforce its national capacities to fight terrorism". Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Secretary General of NATO (2009-2014), said that he did not see a role for the NATO in Mali (''NATO can't be the world's policeman, travelling from country to country, solving all the problems. So I think it's a good idea to have a division of labour. .the United Nation Security Council has mandated an African-led stabilisation force to take action in Mali'').

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...

could take part in any European training mission to Mali to help its government prepare troops to counter the insurgents, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on 14 January. German foreign minister Guido Westerwelle ruled out the possibility of German armed forces taking part in a combat mission in Mali, but he also said Germany was prepared to help train the Mali Armed Forces. On 14 January, the Tuareg separatist MNLA declared it would fight alongside the French and even the Malian government to "end terrorism in Azawad". The spokesman also declared that the MNLA would be a more effective force than those of the neighboring West African nations "because of our knowledge of the ground and the populations". Mathieu Guidère, a scholar of Islam and the Arab world at the University of Toulouse, said in an interview published in the newsmagazine

Jeune Afrique ''Jeune Afrique'' (English: ''Young Africa'') is a French-language pan-African weekly news magazine, founded in 1960 in Tunis and subsequently published in Paris. It is the most widely read pan-African magazine. It is also a book publisher, under ...

, that without the French military intervention the state of Mali would have fallen. France's stated rationale for the operation is that to do otherwise would allow "a terrorist state at the doorstep of France and Europe."

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

i Prime Minister

Benjamin Netanyahu Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu (; ; born 21 October 1949) is an Israeli politician who served as the ninth prime minister of Israel from 1996 to 1999 and again from 2009 to 2021. He is currently serving as Leader of the Opposition and Chairman of ...

praised the intervention in a phone call with French President

François Hollande François Gérard Georges Nicolas Hollande (; born 12 August 1954) is a French politician who served as President of France from 2012 to 2017. He previously was First Secretary of the Socialist Party (France), First Secretary of the Socialist P ...

as "a brave step against extremist Islamic terrorism". Egypt's former President

Mohammed Morsi Mohamed Mohamed Morsi Eissa al-AyyatThe spellings of his first and last names vary. survey of 14 news organizations plus Wikipedia in July 2012CELAC and

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are located primarily in Europe, Europe. The union has a total area of ...

summit in Santiago de Chile,

Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the ...

and

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the eas ...

both expressed support for the French military intervention in Mali. Colombia's president, Juan Manuel Santos, stated that "Colombia has suffered so much from terrorism that it can not disagree with this action." A 2013

Al Jazeera Al Jazeera ( ar, الجزيرة, translit-std=DIN, translit=al-jazīrah, , "The Island") is a state-owned Arabic-language international radio and TV broadcaster of Qatar. It is based in Doha and operated by the media conglomerate Al Jazee ...

poll found that 96% of Malians in

supported French intervention.

References

External links

Orphans of the Sahara
a three-part documentary series about the Tuareg people of the Sahara desert. (2014) *

Bibliography

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Serval, Operation

2013 in Mali Military operations involving France France–Mali relations Battles involving the French Foreign Legion Mali War Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb it:Operazione Serval

Background

Forces committed

French Forces

French Air Force

French Army

French Navy

Special Forces

National Gendarmerie

Intelligence

Allied nations

Operations

Battle of Dayet in Maharat

Reactions

See also

Further reading

References

External links

Bibliography

External links