French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Presidential Palace on September 6 in Paris, France.
(CNN) -
French forces have killed Adnan Abou Walid al Sahraoui, leader of the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISIS-GS), French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Twitter early Thursday morning.
French Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly tweeted on Thursday that military and intelligence agents had contributed to a "long-term hunt" of the ISIS-GS leader, which she described as a "decisive blow" for the group.
"This is another great success in our fight against terrorist groups in the Sahel," President Macron tweeted.
ISIS-GS was established in 2015 after al Sahraoui split from the al-Murabitun group associated with al Qaeda, another splinter group based in Africa.
In 2017, al Sahraoui claimed responsibility for the US forces ambush in Niger that killed four US soldiers.
The US State Department designated ISIS-GS as a Foreign Terrorist Organization in 2018 and announced in 2019 a $ 5 million reward for information leading to the capture of al Sahraoui.
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He was responsible for "cowardly and particularly deadly" attacks against civilians and security forces in Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, according to a statement from a French presidential spokesman.
In August 2020, al Sahraoui "personally ordered" the killing of six French aid workers and their driver and guide, the statement added.
President Macron announced in June 2021 the end of the current French deployment in the Sahel region, Operation Barkhane, with a gradual handover to a multilateral mission.
This would imply a "profound transformation" of the French military presence in the Sahel, Macron said on June 10.
According to the French Defense Ministry, as of this September, France has 5,100 soldiers deployed in five countries in the Sahel region: Chad, Mali, Niger, Mauritania and Burkina Faso.
The incoming international effort will be spearheaded by the Takuba Task Force, a French-led European military task force that advises, assists and accompanies the Malian Armed Forces in the Sahel, according to the French president.
The French army will constitute the "backbone" of that force, completed by special forces from European countries and partners in the region.
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