British forces sent to Mali as jihadist conflict rages

The British force, say senior officers, will seek to promote human rights and help with civic projects, writes Kim Sengupta

The first integration exercise between Royal Dragoons and Little Anglians (Ministry of Defence)

British troops have been sent to Mali to join an international force facing a violent jihadist insurgency that has drawn in al-Qaeda and Isis, against a backdrop of political turbulence following a military coup.  

The UK task force of 300 armour and infantry will focus on reconnaissance and intelligence gathering based in an area which has long been one of the centres of extremist strife and has recently came under attack.

The British soldiers will be part of the UN’s peacekeeping mission, Minusma. A separate French-led counter-terrorist force conducting Operation Barkhana has a UK contribution of Chinook helicopters and a hundred logistics personnel. The two missions have separate chains of command, but liaise on a number of security issues.