French soldier killed in Mali militant clash

A French serviceman was killed early on Friday in a clash with an armed militant group in Mali, the French presidential administration said in a statement.

France has a counter-terrorism force in Mali trying to contain Islamist militant groups. Over 50 French soldiers have died in the region since Paris intervened in 2013 to drive back al Qaeda-linked militants that had seized cities and towns in northern Mali a year earlier.

French forces earlier this month said they had killed the leader of the West African affiliate of Islamic State in a drone strike in northern Mali.