France Kills Leader Of ISIS In The Sahara Region

Islamic State: France says it has killed Adnan Abu Walid al Sahrawi, the fear group’s chief within the Better Sahara

The US had provided a reward of as much as $5m (£3.6m) for info resulting in his location.

An Islamic State chief within the Sahara has been killed by the French navy.

President Emmanuel Macron stated Adnan Abu Walid al Sahrawi’s demise was “a serious success”.

Al Sahrawi was the chief of IS within the Better Sahara, and had beforehand claimed to be behind terror assaults within the area.

Mr Macron stated in a publish on Twitter: “The nation is considering tonight of all its heroes who died for France within the Sahel within the Serval and Barkhane operations, of the bereaved households, of all of its wounded.

“Their sacrifice will not be in useless.

“With our African, European and American companions, we are going to proceed this combat.”

France has been working within the Sahel – the strip of Africa between the Sahara working east to west – since 2013.

It’s notably lively within the areas by which it was a colonial energy.

The UK has supplied help to the French-led operation – together with 300 troops being despatched to Mali on the finish of final 12 months.

There have been issues the withdrawal of Western powers from Afghanistan could result in an emboldening of Islamists in Africa.

Al Sahrawi had stated he was behind a terror assault in 2017 in Niger that killed 4 US navy members and 4 Niger service personnel.

France stated that, in August 2020, al Sahrawi ordered the execution of six French charity staff and their Nigerien driver.

The US had provided a reward of as much as $5m (£3.6m) for info resulting in his location.

Al Sahrawi was born within the disputed Western Sahara area, and later joined the Polisario Entrance earlier than travelling to Algeria and Mali.

He then joined a bunch referred to as MUJAO, which labored for the native al Qaeda affiliate.

In 2015, Al Sahrawi pledged allegiance to IS in Iraq and Syria.

The demise comes as Salah Abdeslam goes on trial in France for the 2015 Paris terror assaults.

He stated the killings had been “nothing private” and had been carried out in response to French airstrikes in Syria and Iraq.