Top al Qaeda operative killed in Northern Mali: report

Bamako: One of the key operative of al Qaeda in Northern Mali, Abdelhamid Abu Zeid, is reportedly killed during a fight between the militants and forces.

Abu Zeid was among 40 militants who died in the region of Tigargara in northern Mali three days ago, according to Algerian Ennahar TV.

Abu Zeid is a leading field commander of al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, a group known as AQIM, and is regarded as one of its most ruthless operators.

France launched an assault to retake Mali’s vast northern desert region from AQIM and other Islamist rebels in January, after a plea from Mali’s caretaker government.

The operation dislodged the rebels from several main towns they had occupied, driving them back into remote desert areas.

Source – Thenewstribe