Operation Serval Mali resulted in the deaths of 11 Islamist fighters. On the evening of April 16, 2014, the French army destroyed two pickup trucks containing jihadists north of Timbuktu. They then used air and ground forces to intercept other vehicles. During the night of April 16 to the 17th, the French special forces, backed by troops from Operation Serval and helicopters come in contact with the Islamist fighters. The French began by firing warning shots, but the jihadists refused to surrender and opened fire. Faced with the advance of the French military, they abandoned their vehicles and ran, suffering more losses.
Military leadership in the Afghan Civil War Military leadership in the Afghan Civil War The Civil War in Afghanistan (1978–present), also known as the "Afghan Civil War" and several other names, was a civil war in Afghanistan. The civil war started when the Communist Party of Afghanistan took all political power in Afghanistan on 27 April 1978. This event led indirectly to the Soviet military intervention in Afghanistan. Sergei Sokolov Valentin Varennikov Boris Gromov Babrak Karmal (PDPA) Mohammad Najibullah (PDPA) Abdul Rashid Dostum (PDPA) Burhanuddin Rabbani (Islamic State) Ahmed Shah Massoud † (Islamic State) Mohammed Fahim (Islamic State) Bismillah Khan (Islamic Republic) Tommy Franks (CENTCOM) John P.