Ivorian special forces soldiers conduct an urban reconnaissance exercise under the supervision of French special forces during the annual US. Military led counterterrorism training known as Flintlock, near base camp Loumbila, Jacqueville, Ivory Coast, Wednesday Feb. 16, 2022. This year’s exercises take place as France announces it will be pulling its troops from Mali, where thousands of its soldiers have been fighting Islamic extremists since 2013 when they pushed al-Qaida linked fighters from strongholds in the north.
