French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has told reporters that French troops have killed “hundreds of militants” since entering the country’s war on January 11th.

He stated the Islamic terrorists were killed both through air strikes and direct combat with French troops. 4,000 French troops are on the ground in Mali with only one casualty; a helicopter pilot, reported by French officials.

Le Drian did not show reporters how he reached the figures he gave in his press statement.

France joined the Malian army in fighting the Islamic terrorist because they feared Mali becoming a launching point for attacks by the al-Qaeda related terrorist groups. The Islamists had taken many of the major cities in the northern part of the country and were advancing on the capital city of Bamako before the French intervention.

Despite insisting that French troops would start leaving in March, Foreign Minster Laurent Fabius said the country is committed to acting “in the north where some terrorist havens remain.”