French President Macron announced on Twitter that French forces have successfully killed Adnan Abou Walid al Sahrauoi, ISIS leader in the Greater Sahara ISIS-GS,
“This is another major success in our fight against terrorist groups in the Sahel.”
PC: The Australian
Florence Parly, French minister for the armed forces, tweeted that military personnel and intelligence have been on a long-term hunt for the leader and have finally succeeded.
In 2015 after al Sahrauoi separated from the al Qaeda al-Murabitun group, ISIS-GS was formed as another group in Africa. Al Sahrauoi has been responsible for the ambush of the Unites States forces in Niger during which four American soldiers were killed.
PC: CNN
In 2018, the US State Department labeled ISIS-GS as a foreign terrorist organization and announced it would reward $5 million to anyone who provide information for the capture of al Sahraoui. The leader is known to have personally ordered the killing of six French humanitarian workers along with their guide and driver.
In June 2021, French President Macron announced to end the French deployment in Sahel region, Operation Barkhane. Over 51,000 French troops have been deployed in Chad, Mali, Mauritiana, Burkina Faso, and Niger. The Takuba Task Force, a European task force led by France, will assist Malian armed forces in the Sahel.