Ms Parly said the operations had dealt 'severe blows to the terrorist groups'. French Defense Minister Florence Parly tweeted that Droukdel and several of his allies were killed Wednesday in northern Mali by French forces and their partners. France deployed 600 additional soldiers as part of its Operation Barkhane - an ongoing anti-insurgent operation launched in August 2014 and led by the French. France deployed 600 additional soldiers as part of its Operation Barkhane - an ongoing anti-insurgent operation launched in August 2014 and led by the French. More recently he had been commanding all the Al-Qaeda's groups in North Africa and the Sahel, including the JNIM, which has claimed responsibility for attacks on the Malian military and U.N. peacekeepers trying to stabilise the volatile country.

Source: Daily Mail June 06, 2020 00:30 UTC