France says leader of ISIL group in Sahel has been killed

Adnan Abu Walid al-Sahrawi, who was wanted by the US, led the Islamic State in Greater Sahara armed group.

France says that the leader of ISIL (ISIS)-affiliated Islamic State in Greater Sahara (ISGS) group, known for its deadly attacks in the so-called tri-border region of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, has been killed by French forces.

“[Adnan Abu Walid al-Sahrawi], leader of the terrorist group Islamic State in the Greater Sahara was neutralised by French forces,” French President Emmanuel Macron said in a tweet on Thursday.

“This is another major success in our fight against terrorist groups in the Sahel,” Macron added, without providing details or location of the operation.