French troops killed one of the Sahel region’s leading jihadists on Oct. 9, France’s defence minister said.
Moroccan Ali Maychou of the Group to Support Islam and Muslims (GSIM) was “the second most-wanted terrorist in the Sahel, including by the Americans”, Florence Parly said aboard a government plane as she returned from an official visit to the West African region.
Ali Maychou was killed during the night of October 8 in Mali with the help of Malian troops and US support, Parly added
The GSIM has claimed responsibility for the biggest attacks in the Sahel since its official launch in 2017.
Comprising several jihadist groups linked to al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), the GSIM alliance is led by a Tuareg Malian, Iyad Ag Ghaly, a 29-year veteran.
Via France 24
