Pentagon chief tells French counterpart U.S. supports Sahel mission

FILE PHOTO: A French soldier mans a machine gun in the door of a NH 90 Caiman military helicopter during Operation Barkhane over Ndaki, Mali, July 29, 2019. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - France has Washington's continued support for counterterrorism efforts in Africa's Sahel region, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told his French counterpart in a phone call on Monday.

France has about 5,000 troops in the Sahel region of West Africa to fight Islamist militants and receives logistical support from the United States. French President Emmanuel Macron announced in June that France was reducing its presence in the region.