France’s army said Monday that its anti-jihadist force in Mali had killed Yahia Djouadi, a "senior leader" of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) responsible for finance and logistics.
Highlights
- Yahia Djouadi was a “senior leader” of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) responsible for finance and logistics.
- He was killed overnight from February 25 to 26 around (160 kilometres (100 miles) north of Timbuktu in central Mali) His death “once again weakens Al Qaeda’s governance” in Mali, French army says.
- France is preparing to redeploy some 2,400 troops away from Mali to other countries in the Sahel region facing cross-border jihadist insurgencies, after falling out with the military junta in Bamako.
- French forces first intervened in Mali in 2013, but disputes between Paris and Bamako have prompted the military government to turn to other allies.