French forces kill al-Qaeda leader in Mali

France says it has killed Abdelmalek Droukdel, the leader of al-Qaeda in north Africa, during an operation in Mali. BBC News reports that Defence Minister Florence Parly said Droukdel and ‘members of his inner circle’ were killed in the north of the country last week. Droukdel fought against Soviet troops in Afghanistan, and was thought to regard the former leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, as his inspiration. Parly said French forces had also captured senior Isis group commander Mohamed Mrabat in Mali in May and the ‘daring operations’ have dealt ‘severe blows to the terrorist groups’. As head of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, Droukdel was in charge of all affiliates in north Africa and also commanded al-Qaeda's Sahel affiliate, Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin.

Abdelmalek Droukdel profile

Full BBC News report