The Al-Qaida leader in the Islamic Maghreb had been killed by French forces in northern Mali, French Minister for the Armed Forces Florence Parly said, Trend reports citing Xinhua.
"On June 3, the French armed forces, with the support of their partners, neutralized the emir Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQMI), Abdelmalek Droukdal, and several of his close collaborators, during an operation in northern Mali," said the minister on Twitter.
"Abdelmalek Droukdal, a member of the Al-Qaida steering committee, commanded all Qaida groups in North Africa and the Sahel strip, including JNIM, one of the main terrorist groups active in the Sahel," she added.