Fundet er gjort i det nordlige Mali, hvor lokale kvinder syede løs på 18 symaskiner for at fremstille selvmordsbælter og selvmordsveste til islamiske ekstremister i det fattige vestafrikanske land.
About 5.000 kg of fertiliser (kunstgødning) intended to be used as explosive was also uncovered in Bourem, a town on the Niger River between Gao and Timbuktu, BBC online reports Friday.
The fertiliser found on the site in a remote area of Bourem would be enough for plenty of belts and vests.
Initially the soldiers thought they had found a factory to make copies of uniforms worn by Malian soldiers and those in the West African force, but they later found the sample vest.
French forces have led an operation to oust Islamist militants from the north. The al-Qaeda-linked groups had taken advantage of a coup in March 2012 to take control of the north of Mali, including major cities such as Gao, Kidal and Timbuktu where they imposed a strict form of Islamic law.
Since January, about 4.000 French troops with the help of Malian and West African soldiers have gained control of the vast desert region’s main towns and cities.
France plans to gradually hand over to the Malian army and a 12.600-strong UN peacekeeping force, which is due to deploy next month and will incorporate the 6.000 West African soldiers already in the country.
The former colonial power intends to keep 1.000 troops in the country to work alongside the UN force to tackle further militant threats.
