User:Shiftyzygo/Battle of Talahandak (2020)

Intelligence
On 1st June of 2020, after help from US intellingence, french forces of operation Barkhane learn that an high value target is in the Tessalit area.

Fighting
On the 3rd of June, a special operation is launched.

The djihadist group is composed of abdelmalek droukdel, leader of AQIM ; Toufik Chaïb, a senior leader of AQIM in charge of the propaganda and three malians fighters. They stopped their white SUV near a small under a heaps of stones, five kilometers south of Talahandak.

The operation is launched by approximatly 15 french special operators with two Caracal helicopter, 1 Tigre fighting helicopter ,a gazelle helicopter and a MQ-9 reaper drone. Because of the meteorological condition, special forces soldiers have to operate on the ground.

At the begining of the fight, the djihadist tried to flee from every direction, then hide between rocks and open fires on the french special operation team. In the subsequent close quarter firefight, 4 djihadists fighters were killed while one of the malian surrendered and was taken captive by the french army.