Three French troops killed in Libya: Defense Ministry

TRIPOLI, Libya (AA) – Three French soldiers have been killed while carrying out a counter-terrorism operation in Libya, the French Defense Ministry confirmed in a Wednesday statement.

"Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian regrets the loss of three French officers who died while on duty in Libya," the statement read.

"He salutes the courage and dedication of these soldiers engaged in the service of France who perform daily, dangerous missions against terrorism," it added.

In a statement broadcast earlier this week by Radio France Internationale, French government spokesman Stephane Le Foll confirmed the presence of French troops in Libya within the context of ongoing "counter-terrorism" activities.

On social media, a group calling itself the "Benghazi Defense Brigades" claimed responsibility for the death of the French troops, saying its fighters had shot down a French military helicopter west of Benghazi.

The Benghazi Defense Brigades reportedly consist of former military personnel and revolutionaries who took part in the 2011 uprising against Libya’s longtime strongman, Muammar Gaddafi.

The group is opposed to Khalifa Haftar, who in 2015 was appointed army chief by Libya’s Tobruk-based government.

* Hajer M'tiri contributed to this report from Paris