French forces have killed 33 Islamic extremists in central Mali, Emmanuel Macron has said.

The French president made the announcement on the second day of his three-day trip to west Africa, which has been dominated by the growing threat posed by jihadist groups.

Macron tweeted that he was “proud of our soldiers who protect us”. Two Malian gendarmes also were rescued in the operation, he said.

France has 4,500 military personnel in west and central Africa, much of which was previously under French colonial rule. The French forces led a military operation in 2013 to dislodge Islamic extremists from power in northern Mali.

The militants have since regrouped and pushed further into central Mali, where Saturday morning’s operation was carried out.

Macron met French military personnel stationed in Ivory Coast, which shares a long border with Mali and Burkina Faso, on Friday.

He was also expected to highlight a new initiative on Saturday. The International Academy to Fight Terrorism will focus on regional strategies and training those involved in the fight against extremism, according to the French presidency.