These incredible images show French paratroopers dropping into hostile territory near terrorist havens on the Libya-Niger border. The pictures, including one radar grab, showing soldiers of the French second Foreign Parachute Regiment, were released by French Defence Audio-visual Communication and Production Unit. Taken during an airborne operation at the 'Salvador Pass' at the border between Libya and Niger, the shots show part of the anti-jihadist operation in the Sahel – the desert region which stretches across North Africa. A image grab from a video released by the ECPAD radar of soldiers from the French second Foreign Parachute Regiment (REP) jumping off a plane during an airborne operation at the 'Salvador Pass' France began setting up a command base in northern Niger at the end of last year in efforts to combat a number of international jihadist groups . France began setting up a command base in northern Niger at the end of last year in efforts to combat the patchwork of international jihadist groups operating across the sparsely populated region from Southern Libya to Mauritania. The porous border between Libya and Niger in particular has been increasingly unstable following the toppling of former Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi by a NATO coalition including France in 2011. With Islamic State increasing its presence in the beleaguered North African State, the region, a gateway to Europe, has been of even greater concern to France and its allies in recent months. Roughly 300 fighters linked to al Qaeda's North African arm AQIM, including a splinter group formed by veteran Islamist commander Mokhtar Belmokhtar, were believed to have operating in southern Libya, a key point on smuggling and trafficking routes across the region. The French operation, dubbed Barkhane after the name of a kind of sand dune formed by desert winds, has set up its headquarters in the Chadian capital N'Djamena, but also placed an outpost in northern Chad about 200 km from the Libyan border. France has a reputation as the policeman of Africa. About 3,000 French troops are now operating out of Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad -- countries straddling the vast arid Sahel band -- with the aim of stamping out Islamist fighters across the region. Roughly 300 fighters linked to al Qaeda's North African arm AQIM, including a splinter group formed by veteran Islamist commander Mokhtar Belmokhtar, were believed to have operating in southern Libya . About 3,000 French troops are now operating out of Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad to stem the tide of extremism .
Pictures show French second Foreign Parachute Regiment dropping down .
Taken on airborne operation at the Salvador Pass on Libya-Niger border .
French troops in the desert region battling jihadist fighters and smugglers .