French military troops have eliminated a commander from the al-Qaeda extremist group (banned in Russia) in the West African country of Mali, French Defense Minister Florence Parly announced on Friday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th November, 2020) French military troops have eliminated a commander from the al-Qaeda extremist group (banned in Russia) in the West African country of Mali, French Defense Minister Florence Parly announced on Friday.
"The French armed forces neutralized a senior al-Qaeda member in Mali on November 10. I congratulate our military on this success that deprives Iyad Ag Ghali of one of his main deputies. Their commitment, courage and self-sacrifice make us strong and proud," Parly tweeted.
According to the defense ministry's communique that was attached to the minister's tweet, the killed jihadist was named Bah ag Moussa and belonged to an al-Qaeda affiliated Rally for the Victory of islam and Muslims, created in 2014 in Mali. He was considered to be one of the main and most dangerous jihadist leaders in Mali, and responsible for several attacks on Malian security forces and their international allies. He was also known to be in charge of training new recruits.
The ministry noted that the military operation included significant intelligence resources, helicopters and ground forces.
France has led a special military operation to curb the Islamic insurgency in the Sahel region since 2014. The mission was reinforced by the establishment of the G5 Sahel in 2017. Endorsed by the African Union, the 5,000-strong group brings together Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger.
