Bangui, Central African Republic (CNN) -- Two French soldiers sent to the Central African Republic as part of an international peacekeeping mission have been killed, the French presidency said Tuesday. The two soldiers, both paratroopers in their early 20s, were killed in combat in the capital, Bangui, on Monday night, a statement from the Elysee Palace said. "They lost their lives to save others," it said. French President Francois Hollande learned of the soldiers' deaths "with great sadness," the statement said. He also "reiterates his full confidence in the French forces deployed alongside African forces to restore security in the Central African Republic, protect civilian populations and ensure access to humanitarian aid."
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NEW: French President Francois Hollande visits the Central African Republic
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Two French soldiers die after their patrol is attacked in Bangui, Defense Ministry says
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France has 1,600 troops in the Central African Republic in support of an African force
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Violence has escalated in the Central African Republic since a coup in March
A deadline was set by the African-led peacekeeping force, backed by the @placeholder, for the warring militias to disarm by midday Monday.