Senegalese soldiers take part on a large annual military exercise, known as Flintlock, on February 24, 2016, in Thies. The exercise has been bringing together African, European and US counter-terrorism forces every year for the past decade. Unfortunately, the threat of a real-life attack is never far from the minds of those present who know that training can quickly turn into practical reality. The tide of Islamist violence spreading in the restive Sahel region has been heightened by deadly attacks on Mali and Burkina Faso's capitals, with fears that jihadist groups are casting their net wider in search of targets in west Africa. / AFP / SEYLLOU (Photo credit should read SEYLLOU/AFP/Getty Images)