France announces killing of al-Qaida military leader in Mali

Bah ag Moussa, a military leader of the Rally for the Victory of Islam and Muslims, an al-Qaida wing operating in the Sahel region, was killed on Tuesday

Paris: French forces have killed Bah ag Moussa, a military leader of al-Qaida’s North Africa wing in Mali, Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly said on Friday.

“This is a major success in the fight against terrorism that France is leading with its partners in the Sahel,” said Parly.

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“A historic figure of the jihadist movement in the Sahel, Bah ag Moussa is considered responsible for several attacks against Malian and international forces,” she added in a statement.

Moussa, a military leader of the Rally for the Victory of Islam and Muslims, an al-Qaida wing operating in the Sahel region, was killed on Tuesday during an operation involving significant intelligence resources, ground troops and helicopters, according to the defense ministry.

France has led a special military operation to curb the insurgency in the Sahel region since 2014.