French President Emmanuel Macron announced Saturday that French forces have killed 33 Islamic extremists in central Mali. 

Macron made the announcement during a three-day trip to West Africa. In a Twitter post, the French leader said he was "proud of our soldiers who protest us.”

During a speech to the French community of Ivory Coast, Macron reiterated France's commitment to fighting terrorism in the Sahel region.

France has 4,500 military personnel in West and Central Africa, areas long governed by the French during colonial times. On Friday, Macron met with French military personnel in the Ivory Coast.