Macron Promises to Increase Military, Humanitarian Aid to Ukraine

French President Emmanuel Macron. AP file photo
French President Emmanuel Macron. AP file photo
TT
20

Macron Promises to Increase Military, Humanitarian Aid to Ukraine

French President Emmanuel Macron. AP file photo
French President Emmanuel Macron. AP file photo

President Emmanuel Macron said France would step up military and humanitarian support to Ukraine during a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Saturday, Paris said.

Macron reiterated his "strong concern" over Russia's bombing of Ukrainian cities and the "unbearable situation" in the southeastern Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, the French presidency added in its statement.

Russia denies targeting civilians in what it calls it "special military operation" in Ukraine.

Ukraine's military said Russian forces pounded Ukraine's eastern Donbas region on Saturday but failed to capture three target areas, while Moscow said Western sanctions on Russia and arms shipments to Ukraine were impeding peace negotiations.



Al Qaeda Affiliate: 200 Soldiers Killed in Attack on Burkina Military Base

FILE - People ride their scooters in the Gounghin district of Ouagadougou, Jan. 26, 2022. (AP Photo/Sophie Garcia, File)
FILE - People ride their scooters in the Gounghin district of Ouagadougou, Jan. 26, 2022. (AP Photo/Sophie Garcia, File)
TT
20

Al Qaeda Affiliate: 200 Soldiers Killed in Attack on Burkina Military Base

FILE - People ride their scooters in the Gounghin district of Ouagadougou, Jan. 26, 2022. (AP Photo/Sophie Garcia, File)
FILE - People ride their scooters in the Gounghin district of Ouagadougou, Jan. 26, 2022. (AP Photo/Sophie Garcia, File)

An attack on a Burkina Faso army base killed 200 soldiers, the SITE Intelligence Group quoted Al Qaeda affiliate JNIM as saying on Thursday.

The base in the northern town of Djibo came under attack on Sunday morning, and a police station and market were also targeted, security sources told Reuters.

Although there was no official toll, three Djibo residents told Reuters dozens of soldiers and civilians were killed.

US-based SITE, which tracks online activity of militants, said JNIM made the claim in a formal statement.

"The operation comes amid increased JNIM activity in Burkina Faso over the past month inflicting a high number of casualties," SITE said.

The organization previously said Ousmane Dicko, head of JNIM in Burkina, had appeared in a video urging residents of Djibo to leave the town for their own safety.