France: French special forces target al-Qaeda commanders in Mali
According to jihadist social media accounts connected to al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), al Qaeda’s official branch in North Africa, French forces conducted two separate raids on al Qaeda figures in Mali in recent days. The attacks left one commander of AQIM and two fighters from AQIM’s Katibat al Murabitoon dead. Both AQIM and the French Ministry of Defence have yet to release statements confirming or denying these reports. However, Al Jazeera has reported that sources close to the group have confirmed the operations to the Qatari news site.
The jihadists online said that the AQIM commander Abu al Nour al Andalusi, a Spanish national from the Melilla enclave in Morocco, was killed by French forces “180km north of Timbuktu.” Additionally, an Egyptian fighter, identified as Marwan al Masri, was also killed alongside the Spanish commander.