killing fields of Africa

"In some of the fiercest fighting between French-led forces and the Islamist fighters in early March, the drones hovered over a rugged mountainous region in Mali, giving allied forces targeting information for airstrikes. French and African officials say that perhaps 700 fighters, out of about 2,000 insurgents in all, were killed in the fighting." "Pentagon officials say the drone missions will continue even as France reduces its force in Mali to about 1,000 troops by year's end, from 3,500 now, "because we see a continued need for intelligence collection in that region," said Amanda Dory, deputy assistant secretary of defense for Africa."