The Malian army announced on Saturday that it had arrested two “terrorists,” including “a prominent leader” of ISIS in the Sahel, and killed several of his fighters during an operation carried out the day before in the northern part of the country.
In a statement, the army “confirmed the arrest of Mahamad Ould Erkehile, also known as Abou Rakia and more recently Abou Hach, a prominent leader of ISIS in the Sahel.”
The army describes Abou Hach as a “long-sought terrorist, known to intelligence services for his involvement in and coordination of the worst atrocities and abuses against populations in the Ménaka and Gao regions, as well as attacks against the Malian Armed Forces.”
The operation, carried out on Friday by units operating in the Gao region, also led to the “neutralization of several of his fighters and the recovery of various military equipment, including countless materials for the manufacture of improvised explosive devices,” the statement said.
Mali has been plagued since 2012 by the actions of terrorist groups, particularly those affiliated with Al-Qaeda and ISIS.
