Killing of Adnan Abu Walid al-Sahrawi
| Killing of Adnan Abu Walid al-Sahrawi | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Operation Barkhane in the Mali War | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 France |
 Islamic State in the Greater Sahara | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Unknown | Adnan Abu Walid al-Sahrawi † | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 20 men | Unknown | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| None | ~12 killed | ||||||
Between August 17 to 21, 2021, French forces under
Prelude
Two Islamic State fighters captured on July 14 reported the presence of
The second part of the operation was carried out between August 20 and August 22.[1][3] About twenty men, supported by drones and helicopters, intercepted two more men on motorcycles.[1] After a short firefight, the two men were killed. French forces then proceeded to launch airstrikes on ISGS positions inside the forest, which continued after the French soldiers retreated.[4]
Losses and aftermath
According to the French government, around a dozen jihadists were killed.[3]
On September 16, 2021, French president Emmanuel Macron released a statement saying that the leader of ISGS had been "neutralized" in a strike by French forces in August.[6][7] French Minister of Defence Florence Parly stated that the killing of al-Sahrawi "deals a decisive blow to the command of Daesh in the Sahel because ISGS will no doubt have difficulty replacing its emir with a figure of the same stature."[3]
References
- ^ a b c d e "Mort du chef jihadiste Adnan Abou Walid al-Sahraoui, ennemi numéro 1 de la France au Sahel". France 24 (in French). 2021-09-16. Retrieved 2023-01-31.
- ^ www.defense.gouv.fr https://www.defense.gouv.fr/error/404. Retrieved 2023-01-31.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ a b c d e "La France dit avoir tué le chef du groupe État islamique au Sahel". Reuters. 2021-09-16. Retrieved 2023-01-31.
- ^ a b Macé, Célian. "Mort de l'émir de Daech Al-Sahraoui : Barkhane frappe le jihad à la tête". Libération (in French). Retrieved 2023-01-31.
- ^ "Sahel: que sait-on de la mort d'al-Sahraoui, chef du groupe État islamique au Grand Sahara?". RFI (in French). 2021-09-16. Retrieved 2023-01-31.
- ^ "Les forces françaises ont tué Abou Walid Al-Sahraoui, chef de l'EI au Grand Sahara". France 24 (in French). 2021-09-15. Retrieved 2023-01-31.
- ^ "Le numéro un de l'organisation Etat islamique au Grand Sahara tué par les forces françaises". Le Monde.fr (in French). 2021-09-16. Retrieved 2023-01-31.