A paratrooper from the 1st RCP who died in Mali
(B2) A paratrooper from the 1st RCP (parachute hunter regiment) from Pamiers died in Mali “ accidentally “says one to the Ministry of Defense.
Injured on landing
The landing phase went wrong. Several paratroopers were injured when they hit the ground. during an airdrop placement ". 1st Class Albéric Riveta was among them. He was found in cardio-respiratory arrest.. Evacuated " at once » by helicopter to role 2 of Gao, his death was recorded around 4 a.m. local time (6 a.m. Paris).
About a hundred km north of Gao
The incident occurred as part of Operation Aquila (1), carried out jointly with the Malian armed forces on the night of June 17 to 18, 2017 in the Almoustarat sector, a hundred kilometers north of Gao. With the support of fighter planes, the paratroopers were dropped around 01:00 (03:00 Paris time) by three C-160 (Transall) tactical transport planes from the air component on a position recognized and held by Malian and French commandos. . Other sections of GTIA 8 of the FAMA supported the airborne operation southwest of Almoustarat.
An ongoing investigation
« The operation continues “, we specify to the staff of the armies. " An investigation will have to determine the circumstances and the causes of this death in operation. »
(NGV)
(1) TheOperation Aquila is part "in a succession of operations carried out in this region" carried out by the soldiers of Operation Barkhane, " for more than a month, aimed at reassuring the Malian armed forces in a sector where armed terrorist groups contest their presence ". It is based on the coordinated action of the air and airmobile component, the infiltration of Malian and French commandos as well as a night drop of a hundred paratroopers belonging to the theater operational reserve.
