"The president of the republic with great regret learned of the deaths of three French soldiers in Mali this morning … Their armored vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device during an operation in the Hombori region," a communique published by the presidential palace read.

French President Emmanuel Macron has expressed his condolences to the families of the victims, according to the press release.

France launched Operation Barkhane, an anti-terrorism operation targeting Islamist groups in the Sahel G5 countries (Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad), six years ago. Amid continued unrest in the region, France and 12 countries created the Takuba Task Force this past March to provide further assistance to the Malian armed forces.