French
paratroopers of 2e REP Foreign Legion Parachute Regiment were parachuted
on Timbuktu.
French
army spokesman Colonel Thierry Burkhard has announced, on Monday morning,
January 28, 2013, French soldiers of the 2e
REP (2nd Foreign Legion Parachute Regiment) were parachuted
into strategic points overnight to prepare the way for Malian forces to
recapture Timbuktu from Islamist rebels. Two C-130
and three C-160
Transall military transport aircraft drop French paratroops
north of the city of Timbuktu to lock access.
Drop of a company of the 2e
REP Foreign Legion Parachute Regiment (2e REP) to
Timbuktu, seen from a drone Harfang.
At
the same time, a force of 600 French soldiers left Friday from the city
of Niono, arrived from the west to take the control of the airport of
Timbuktu. These units have been supported by attack helicopters and fighter
aircraft.
Defence
chiefs from the West African regional grouping ECOWAS agreed on Saturday
to boost their troop pledges for Mali to 5700. Chad, which is not a member
of the 15-nation bloc, has promised a further 2000 soldiers.
France
said on Sunday it had now deployed 2900 troops and 2700 African soldiers
were on the ground in Mali and Niger, but French Prime Minister Jean-Marc
Ayrault appealed for more aid.
In
Gao, after the attack of the French Special Forces, Saturday morning,
January 26, 2013, an air assault was conducted by a company of the 1e
RCP (1st Parachute Chasseur Regiment) arrived from Abidjan,
Ivory Coast.
In
Dakar, the French amphibious assault ship BPC
Dixmude just arrived and began to unload new French troops
with dozen of armoured vehicles that will take the road of Mali.
Company of the 1e
RCP (1st Parachute Chasseur Regiment) during the
air assault on the airport of Gao. (January 26, 2013)
Video
French paratroopers of 2e REP Foreign Legion Parachute Regiment were parachuted
on Timbuktu (Copyright Pasacle Dupont contact creationvideo@live.fr)
Many
of the rebels’ advocates here are urging the creation of one or
more “no-fly zones” over Syrian territory to protect the
opposition and permit it to set up a rival government on Syrian territory
that could then request additional military intervention ....
