Two operators of the special forces of the French Navy, Cédric Pierrepont and Alain Bertoncello, died during an action aimed at the release of four hostages - two of them of French citizenship while the other two are an American and a South Korean - kidnapped last May 1st in Burkina Faso.
The sub-Saharan country is one of the operating theaters of the terrorist group Boko Haram, affiliated with ISIS.
The French Foreign Minister said the two soldiers gave their lives to save the 4 hostages, now free.
The two raiders belonged to the Force Maritime des Fusiliers Marins et Commandos of the National Marine. The Commandos are the special forces of the French navy (7 specialized Commandos), although they do not reach the high level of professionalism of the COMSUBIN (Underwater Underwater Command) of the Navy.
This episode shows how Paris does not intend to deal with terrorist groups, employing its own special forces, unlike what has been done so far by Italian governments, in the missions for which they were created and trained: planning and conducting special operations.
