On 22 February, supported by French fighters, the Chadian army launched a joint military operation with the support of French war jets on an Islamists base said to be of "significant importance", where 8 French hostages were believed to be held along with caches of heavy weaponry, artillery shells, anti-tank weapons, and mines were said to be hidden in the mountains of the Adrar des Ifoghas. By the end of the day, the mission was considered to be a success with 93 Islamists killed or captured, but leaving 26 Chadian soldiers dead and 52 others severely wounded, the dead included several high-ranking Chadian commanders in Mali, including special forces commander Abdel Aziz Hassane Adam.[7]