PARIS: One of Al-Qaeda’s key leaders in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), Abdelhamid Abou Zeid, was killed in fighting with French-led forces in northern Mali in late February, French President Francois Hollande’s office confirmed on Saturday. It may be mentioned that Dispatch News Desk (DND) confirmed his death on March 1, 2013. Read DND original story posted on March 1, 2013 to click this link.
“The president of the French Republic confirms Abdelhamid Abou Zeid’s death with certainty during fighting led by the French army in the Adrar des Ifoghas (mountains) in northern Mali in late February,” the Elysee palace said in a statement.
It said the death of “one of the main leaders of AQIM marks an important stage in the fight against terrorism in the Sahel.”
DND