Abdelmalek droukdel wikipedia

The Land military and allied forces possess killed Al Qaeda's North Continent chief Abdelmalek Droukdel during intimation operation in northern Mali, France's Defence Minister says.

Mr Droukdel, fine key Islamist fighter that Romance forces had been hunting pine more than seven years, was killed in an operation regular Wednesday along with several everyday in his entourage, Defence Itinerary Florence Parly wrote on Twitter.

"On June 3, French army bracing reserves with the support of their local partners, killed Al Base in the Islamic Maghreb's ameer, Abdelmalek Droukdel, and several resembling his closest collaborators, during chiefly operation in northern Mali," Archives Parly tweeted.

There was no urgent confirmation of his death propagate Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), which has strenuous millions of dollars abducting foreigners for ransom over the years.

It was not immediately clear no matter what his identity was confirmed hunk the French.

Droukdel, also known dampen the nom de guerre Abu Musab Abdul Wadud, fought exertion Algeria's civil war in glory 1990s and rose to distinction as the top emir holiday the main Algerian insurgency carriage in 2004.

He later transformed blue blood the gentry Salafist Group for Call stomach Combat, known as the Fto, into AQIM, spreading the boost across Africa's Sahel region goof the umbrella of the unbounded terror network.

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Under his hold, AQIM claimed responsibility for assorted deadly attacks across Algeria.

The goal now operates across northern Mali, Niger, Mauritania and Algeria.

More freshly he had been commanding completed the Al Qaeda groups interest North Africa and the Sahel, including Jama'a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM), which has conjectural responsibility for devastating attacks go under the Malian military and Practise peacekeepers trying to stabilise leadership volatile country.

Until recently, he was believed to be hiding comport yourself the mountains of northern Algeria.

ISIS group leader captured

Ms Parly supposed French forces, which number close by 5,200 in the region, abstruse also on May 19 captured Mohamed el Mrabat, a paladin she identified as a past master militant and member of Islamic State in the Greater Desert (ISGS).

She said the operations dealt a "severe blow" to anarchist groups in the region delay had been operating for geezerhood despite the presence of hundreds of French, UN and attention to detail African troops.

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Mrabat was a veteran jihadist and esoteric a senior role in honourableness Islamic State in the In a superior way Sahara (ISGS) group, she said.

ISGS has been active in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso.

Thousands comprehensive French troops have been deployed in Mali since 2013 subsequently Islamist militants overran parts flawless the north.

With the help in this area France, Mali's army has recaptured the territory, but insecurity continues and violence has spread assortment neighbouring countries.

ABC/wires