a French soldier killed in an attack

Brigadier Alexandre Martin was 24 years old. His death was announced on Sunday January 23 by a press release from the Elysée. Saturday, January 22, shortly after 5 p.m., a dozen mortar shells targeted the French camp. The brigadier, seriously injured, died shortly after. Nine other French personnel were more lightly affected. The origin of the shots was spotted: as soon as a patrol of attack helicopters took off, the position was neutralized.

Brigadier Alexandre Martin belonged to the 54th infantry regiment of Hyères (Var). He had recently been deployed overseas as well as in Djibouti. On its base, the flag is at half mast, its command remembers a quality soldier. “He had great potential”, emphasizes Colonel Pierre Bernard. The brigadier had been engaged in Operation Barkhane since October 19. The attack comes in a context where the French presence in Mali is increasingly contested by part of the population.