Gorom-Gorom rescue operation

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
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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]

  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. ^ "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.