French army copters crashed in Mali not under IS fire

Two French army helicopters that crashed in Mali on Tuesday had not been under fire from Islamic State jihadists.

French army chief of staff François Lecointre said this in an interview today.

Lecointre’s comment followed ISWAP claim on the crash.

On Thursday, Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) said the helicopters had collided after one of them retreated under fire from ISWAP fighters, but it did not provide any evidence for its claim.

He also said France had no intention of withdrawing from Mali but that it needs more support from its allies.