Operation Barkhane rebellion against the central Malian government was exploited by Islamist groups who gained control over the northern half of the country. In response, France launched a military operation in January 2013 to stop the Islamist offensive from toppling the Malian government and to re-capture Northern Mali. The operation, codenamed Operation Serval, ended in the complete re-capture of all Islamist held territory by the operations conclusion on the 15 July 2014. Following the end of Operation Serval, France recognised the need to provide stability in the wider Sahel region by helping the region's various governments combat terrorism. The French defense minister,
American-led intervention in the Syrian Civil War Council's approval - a grave violation of international law - but at that point they at least tried to show some material evidence." American-led intervention in the Syrian Civil War The American-led intervention in the Syrian Civil War refers to the US invasion and partial military occupation of Syria, support of Syrian opposition and the Federation of Northern Syria during the course of the Syrian Civil War, and active involvement of the US military against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and against the al-Nusra Front from 2014. Since 2017, the US and some other coalition nations have