Germany’s cabinet on Wednesday approved the deployment of eight attack and transport helicopters as well as 350 additional soldiers to Mali as part of a UN peacekeeping mission, sources said.

The helicopters will replace those of the Dutch army, and the additional troops will service and maintain the fleet.

After the deployment, Germany will have some 1,000 soldiers in Mali taking part in the 15,000-strong UN mission that oversees a peace deal agreed in 2015 between the government and rebels.

The four attack helicopters and a similar number of transport machines will stay in Mali until mid-2018.

Source: Reuters