British troops have shot dead two suspected ISIS gunmen in Mali, the first time that regular UK forces have killed enemies in combat since 2014.
Soldiers from the Queen's Dragoon Guards were taking part in a UN mission near the village of Menaka, in the east of Mali, when they got into a gun fight with two suspected ISIS militants riding a motorbike on Wednesday morning.
The men crashed their bike as British troops chased them in open-topped Jackal vehicles, before opening fire with an AK-47 and a Soviet PKN machine-gun.
UK troops then fired back with .50 calibre machine-guns and grenade launchers during a 20-minite firefight that left the two suspected militants dead.
British troops stationed in Mali as part of a UN mission shot dead two suspected ISIS militants Wednesday, the first time regular UK forces have killed enemies in combat since 2014 (file)
Members of the Queen's Dragoon Guards were taking part in a reconnaissance mission near the town of Menaka, in eastern Mali, when they got into the firefight
No British forces were injured, though one of the vehicles was damaged.
Major Gavin Hudson said the troops were taking part in a reconnaissance mission from Menaka to the nearby village of Indelimone, trying to find a new route between them after regular routes had come under continual attack by militants.
British forces were several miles from the nearest road, driving through dunes and desert scrubland, when they crested a mound and spotted the two men.
The men attempted to flee on their motorbike, but crashed it and then ran on foot. UK troops got out of their Jackal vehicles and gave chase.
Major Hudson told The Sun that UK forces were intending to detain and interrogate the two men, but before that could happen they opened fire.
British troops quickly retreated back to the Jackals and continued to the chase, returning fire with 'every weapon available'.
After 20 minutes, both of the suspected militants had been killed.
'I am quite surprised that two guys with small arms decided to take on all the British vehicles, but maybe they felt they had no choice,' Major Hudson said.
The last time British forces shot and killed enemy combatants was in Afghanistan in 2014, before Camp Bastion in Helmand province was handed over to US forces and combat troops were withdrawn from the country.
British troops are on deployment in Mali as part of a UN peacekeeping mission, which is widely considered the global body's most-dangerous.
British troops are on deployment in Mali as part of a UN mission that has been ongoing since 2013,
