U.S. Confirms French Killing Of Top al-Qaida Commander In Africa

By Stefan J. Bos, Special Correspondent Worthy News

(Worthy News) – The United States military confirmed Saturday that one of the terror group al-Qaida’s longest-serving commanders in Africa had been killed in Mali during an operation led by France.

Abdelmalek Droukdel, the emir of al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), was killed June 3, said U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) spokesman Colonel Chris Karns. “This mission is a collective win,” he told U.S. broadcaster Voice Of America (VOA).

“This was a great example of cooperation and partnership to get after a common threat,” the spokesman added, praising France’s commitment to fighting both al-Qaida and groups linked to the militant Islamic State organization in Africa. The government in France said earlier that its forces in Mali had killed the terror group commander, who led the al-Qaida affiliate for more than a decade.

French Defence Minister Defense Minister Florence Parly said that the “French armed forces, with the support of their partners,” have “neutralized” Abdelmalek Droukdal “and several of his close associates, in the course of an operation in northern Mali.”

Wassim Nasr, a French expert on the terrorist group who interviewed its leaders, called the killings “A very big loss for them.” Parly seemed to agree and said the “daring operations” had dealt “severe blows to the terrorist groups.” She warned that French forces “in cooperation with their partners in the Sahel, will continue to hunt them relentlessly.”

The crackdown came amid concerns that terror groups such as al-Qaida and Islamic State recouped some of their losses during the coronavirus crisis that forced many people around the world in lockdown.

French, U.S. and African officials are aöso concerned that terror groups are taking advantage of economic and political turmoil across parts of West Africa and the Sahel. That’s why France, along with Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and Chad, created a combined force this past January to tackle the spread of Islamic extremism.

France has about 5,100 troops in the area and has urged other Western countries to do more in supporting its operations. Additionally, the French government appealed to the United States to keep some forces in Africa, saying that not all U.S. assets cannot be replaced. That includes intelligence and surveillance capabilities that reportedly helped to find and kill Droukdel.

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