Niamey, Jun 16 (AP) French drone strikes killed nearly 40 Islamic extremists earlier this week who were traveling on motorcycles near Niger's border with Burkina Faso, France's military announced Thursday.

In a statement, the French military called the strikes a “new tactical success” for France's counterterrorism efforts in Africa's Sahel region, named Operation Barkhane.

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“Intelligence obtained from Nigerien units in contact with the column confirmed that the motorcycles belonged to an armed terrorist group moving between Burkina Faso and Niger,” Barkhane said in the statement.

“In close coordination with Niger's Armed Forces, the Barkhane force conducted several strikes against the column. Nearly 40 terrorists were neutralized.” (AP)

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(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)