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Gorom-Gorom rescue operation

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Gorom-Gorom rescue operation
Part of the Jihadist insurgency in Burkina Faso, Operation Barkhane, and the War against the Islamic State
Date9 – 10 May 2019
Location
Near Gorom-Gorom, Sahel Region, Burkina Faso
14°27′N 0°14′W / 14.450°N 0.233°W / 14.450; -0.233
Result

French victory

  • 4 hostages rescued
  • 2 French soldiers killed
Belligerents
 France
Supported by:
 United States (intelligence support)
 Burkina Faso (logistical support)		 Islamic State Islamic State in the Greater Sahara[1]
Units involved

Special Operations Command

Unknown
Strength
France 24 commandos
~ 10 helicopters
2 MQ-9 Reaper drones
1 CASA medical plane
United States 1 MQ-9 Reaper drone		 6 gunmen
Casualties and losses
2 killed 4 killed[1]
4 hostages freed
Gorom-Gorom is located in Burkina Faso
Gorom-Gorom
Gorom-Gorom
class=notpageimage|
Location of Gorom-Gorom, close to where the operation took place.

On May 9, 2019, French special operations forces conducted an operation in Gorom-Gorom, northern Burkina Faso to rescue two hostages kidnapped by the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara in Pendjari National Park, Benin. The operation successfully freed four hostages, including two French nationals, a South Korean, and an American. Two French soldiers were killed in the raid, and four jihadists were killed.[2][3]

Background

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On May 1, 2019, French tourists Laurent Lassimouillas and Patrick Picque were kidnapped in Pendjari National Park in Benin. The body of their Beninese tour guide Flacre Gbedji was found disfigured and shot near Gbedji's burnt-out car.[4] The killing and kidnapping was the first attack by jihadists in Benin.[3] A South Korean hostage and an American hostage were kidnapped a month prior in Burkina Faso.[5]

The kidnappers then retreated to Burkina Faso with the hostages.[6] According to the French General Staff, the jihadists stayed in Burkina Faso for several days with the intention of handing the hostages to the Katiba Macina in Mali.[3][7] While the Katiba Macina organized the kidnapping, it was militants from the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara based in eastern Burkina Faso that carried out the kidnapping.[3]

Immediately after the kidnapping, the Direction du renseignement militaire (DRM) began intelligence missions aided by the United States and Burkina Faso. The kidnappers traveled 350 kilometers within a few days towards the Malian border, mostly at night through the bush.[8] American intelligence intercepted the jihadists from their cell phones conversations.[8]

Rescue

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The rescue operation began across a wide swath of northern Burkina Faso on May 7. France mobilized forces from Task Force Sabre, from Operation Barkhane, and drones and helicopters to intercept the jihadists. Burkinabe troops provided logistical support on key routes, and American forces provided a MQ-9 drone.[3][9]

The kidnappers stopped on May 9, allowing French forces to conduct a raid.[3] The Special Operations Command led by Laurent Isnard received the first information about the camp in the early afternoon, and Isnard recommended launching the raid within the next few hours.[10] Isnard and the SOC's plan of action was approved by Emmanuel Macron and François Lecointre that evening.[3]

Fighting began near Gorom-Gorom, Sahel Region when 24 soldiers from Commando Hubert, the 1st Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment, and Air Parachute Commando No. 10 raided the camp.[11][6] The soldiers were first dropped off about ten kilometers from the camp by ten helicopters, and French forces also mobilized a medical evacuation plane.[3][8] Two French and an American drone provided surveillance. A little before midnight, the commandos began their trek toward the camp.[12][8] As they approached, they heard the jihadists loading their guns. The French soldiers killed the sentry after he had spotted them, and mounted the assault intending not to hit the hostages.[13][12] The soldiers entered each encampment simultaneously, and two soldiers were killed in two encampments.[3]

Both French hostages, the South Korean, and the American hostage were recovered. The latter two had been held for 28 days, and French officials stated that the South Korean and American's discovery was a surprise.[12]

Aftermath

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Funeral procession for the fallen French operators in Paris on May 14.

Four jihadists were killed in the raid and two others escaped.[3] Two French petty officers, Cedric de Pierrepont and Alain Bertoncello were killed during the operation, and were given a national tribute on May 14 in Les Invalides.[14] During the ceremony they were both posthumously promoted to chief petty officer and honored with the Legion of Honour. No other French soldiers were injured.[14]

The Beninese, Burkinabe, American, and French governments all congratulated the operation and expressed condolences to the two soldiers.[15][16] Following the rescue, the two Frenchmen and the South Korean were received by President Emmanuel Macron at Villacoublay airport. The former captives expressed their thanks to the soldiers that died and to the French and Burkinabe authorities for their roles in the rescue. The American hostage's identity was never revealed.[16]

On May 14, 2019, a national tribute was held in Paris in honour of the two soldiers that died during the rescue mission.[17]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Une opération de sauvetage complexe, deux militaires français tués : le récit de la libération des otages au Burkina Faso". May 10, 2019 – via Le Monde.
  2. ^ FRANCE 24 (2019-05-13). Ce que l’on sait de l’opération de libération des otages français au Burkina Faso. Retrieved 2024-09-12 – via YouTube.{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Une opération de sauvetage complexe, deux militaires français tués : le récit de la libération des otages au Burkina Faso" (in French). 2019-05-10. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
  4. ^ "French hostages praise rescue 'from hell'". 2019-05-11. Retrieved 2019-05-14.
  5. ^ "S. Korean hostage in Burkina Faso was 'regular tourist': official". France 24. 2019-05-13. Retrieved 2019-05-14.
  6. ^ a b "Bénin: le guide des Français disparus retrouvé mort". Le Figaro (in French). 2019-05-05. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
  7. ^ Peltier, Elian (2019-05-10). "Two French Soldiers Are Killed in Raid That Frees Four Hostages in Burkina Faso". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-05-14.
  8. ^ a b c d "Cédric de Pierrepont et Alain Bertoncello, deux soldats d'exception". parismatch.com (in French). 2019-05-17. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
  9. ^ "Burkina: deux commandos marine français tués lors d'une opération de libération d'otages". archive.wikiwix.com (in French). Retrieved 2024-09-12.
  10. ^ "EXCLUSIF. Le chef des opérations spéciales fait le récit du sauvetage des otages". lejdd.fr (in French). 2019-05-11. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
  11. ^ "Burkina: six questions sur une opération spéciale". l'Opinion (in French). 2019-05-15. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
  12. ^ a b c "Burkina Faso: quatre otages libérés, deux militaires français tués". RFI (in French). 2019-05-10. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
  13. ^ FRANCE 24 (2019-05-10). REPLAY - Otages libérés au Sahel : conférence de presse au ministère des Armées. Retrieved 2024-09-12 – via YouTube.{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  14. ^ a b "Qui étaient les deux militaires français morts lors de l'opération de libération des otages au Burkina Faso ?". Franceinfo (in French). 2019-05-10. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
  15. ^ BENOIT, Daphné (2019-05-10). "Burkina: l'armée française libère quatre otages, deux militaires tués". Orange Actualités (in French). Retrieved 2024-09-12.
  16. ^ a b "Burkina Faso : la mystérieuse otage américaine libérée par le commando français". Le Nouvel Obs (in French). 2019-05-14. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
  17. ^ "French hostages praise rescue 'from hell' in Burkina Faso". BBC News. 11 May 2019.
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