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| French Forces Kill a Leader of Jihadists in Mali Raid | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| ISTANBUL — The French Army said on Thursday that it had killed a leader of a terrorist group in the deserts of northern Mali. | ISTANBUL — The French Army said on Thursday that it had killed a leader of a terrorist group in the deserts of northern Mali. |
| The announcement, coming two days after the release of the last French hostage held by militants, signaled that French special forces may now be free to pursue the terrorist group aggressively, unrestrained by worries about the safety of French captives. | The announcement, coming two days after the release of the last French hostage held by militants, signaled that French special forces may now be free to pursue the terrorist group aggressively, unrestrained by worries about the safety of French captives. |
| A spokesman for the Defense Ministry said French troops had killed Ahmed al-Tilemsi, who had a $5 million bounty on his head after the State Department listed him as a “specially designated global terrorist.” | A spokesman for the Defense Ministry said French troops had killed Ahmed al-Tilemsi, who had a $5 million bounty on his head after the State Department listed him as a “specially designated global terrorist.” |
| Mr. Tilemsi was a leader of Al Mourabitoun, a group formed by extremists who split off from Al Qaeda two years ago. The extremists led a devastating attack on the In Amenas gas plant in Algeria in 2013, and killed at least 37 foreign hostages taken during the assault. | Mr. Tilemsi was a leader of Al Mourabitoun, a group formed by extremists who split off from Al Qaeda two years ago. The extremists led a devastating attack on the In Amenas gas plant in Algeria in 2013, and killed at least 37 foreign hostages taken during the assault. |
| Col. Gilles Jaron, spokesman for the French Army’s chief of staff, confirmed that Mr. Tilemsi had been killed. He was one of a group of “a dozen terrorists” targeted by the raid; the others were “neutralized,” Colonel Jaron said, meaning that they were either killed or captured. He declined to give more specifics. | Col. Gilles Jaron, spokesman for the French Army’s chief of staff, confirmed that Mr. Tilemsi had been killed. He was one of a group of “a dozen terrorists” targeted by the raid; the others were “neutralized,” Colonel Jaron said, meaning that they were either killed or captured. He declined to give more specifics. |
| Al Mourabitoun is active in the Sahara and in the Sahel region to its south, where militants took advantage of a coup and political chaos in Mali to seize control of most of the northern half of the country in 2012. At the request of the Malian government, France sent thousands of troops in early 2013 to help push the insurgents back. | Al Mourabitoun is active in the Sahara and in the Sahel region to its south, where militants took advantage of a coup and political chaos in Mali to seize control of most of the northern half of the country in 2012. At the request of the Malian government, France sent thousands of troops in early 2013 to help push the insurgents back. |
| That French-led effort succeeded in retaking two of the three main desert cities that had fallen to the militants, but the operation stalled in the province of Kidal. Analysts said the French Army was forced to tread very carefully there because of six French hostages who were believed to be held in the area. | That French-led effort succeeded in retaking two of the three main desert cities that had fallen to the militants, but the operation stalled in the province of Kidal. Analysts said the French Army was forced to tread very carefully there because of six French hostages who were believed to be held in the area. |
| That constraint apparently was lifted with the release of the last hostage, Serge Lazarevic, on Tuesday. “What is clear in my mind is that we are seeing this happen just days after Serge Lazarevic,” said Jean-Paul Rouiller, director of the Geneva Center for Training and Analysis of Terrorism, who tracks the jihadist groups in Mali. “The French military can finally take the gloves off.” | That constraint apparently was lifted with the release of the last hostage, Serge Lazarevic, on Tuesday. “What is clear in my mind is that we are seeing this happen just days after Serge Lazarevic,” said Jean-Paul Rouiller, director of the Geneva Center for Training and Analysis of Terrorism, who tracks the jihadist groups in Mali. “The French military can finally take the gloves off.” |
| Mr. Tilemsi, 37, a Malian native, was the head of one of the main brigades of a Qaeda splinter group known as Mujao, a French acronym for the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa, when the militants seized control of the northern Malian city of Gao in 2012. They turned the city’s main square into a scene of horror. People accused of being thieves were fastened to chairs and their hands were sawed off, and a group of highway robbers had both their hands and feet chopped off. The acts were considered so gruesome that even the leader of Al Qaeda’s branch in Northern Africa wrote a letter of complaint. | Mr. Tilemsi, 37, a Malian native, was the head of one of the main brigades of a Qaeda splinter group known as Mujao, a French acronym for the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa, when the militants seized control of the northern Malian city of Gao in 2012. They turned the city’s main square into a scene of horror. People accused of being thieves were fastened to chairs and their hands were sawed off, and a group of highway robbers had both their hands and feet chopped off. The acts were considered so gruesome that even the leader of Al Qaeda’s branch in Northern Africa wrote a letter of complaint. |
| Last year, Mr. Tilemsi formed Al Mourabitoun by joining forces with a group led by Mokhtar Belmokhtar, a former commander of the regional Qaeda branch. Mr. Belmokhtar claimed responsibility for the gas installation attack in southern Algeria on Jan. 16, 2013. | Last year, Mr. Tilemsi formed Al Mourabitoun by joining forces with a group led by Mokhtar Belmokhtar, a former commander of the regional Qaeda branch. Mr. Belmokhtar claimed responsibility for the gas installation attack in southern Algeria on Jan. 16, 2013. |
| It was not clear whether Mr. Tilemsi was involved in that attack. But according to the State Department, he has been linked to the kidnapping of several Europeans, including two Frenchmen who were abducted from a restaurant in Niger in 2011. Both those hostages were killed. | It was not clear whether Mr. Tilemsi was involved in that attack. But according to the State Department, he has been linked to the kidnapping of several Europeans, including two Frenchmen who were abducted from a restaurant in Niger in 2011. Both those hostages were killed. |
| The French Ministry of Defense also confirmed that Mr. Tilemsi played a role in the abduction of Gilberto Rodriguez Leal, an elderly French tourist who was taken from his camper in Mali and killed late last year or in early 2014. | The French Ministry of Defense also confirmed that Mr. Tilemsi played a role in the abduction of Gilberto Rodriguez Leal, an elderly French tourist who was taken from his camper in Mali and killed late last year or in early 2014. |
| Colonel Jaron said the raid that killed Mr. Tilemsi was part of Operation Barkhane, the French military’s effort to counter extremist groups across the region from Mauritania to Chad. There are currently 3,000 French troops in the region, according to the ministry. The colonel said French forces involved in the raid had “acted in coordination with Malian authorities.” | Colonel Jaron said the raid that killed Mr. Tilemsi was part of Operation Barkhane, the French military’s effort to counter extremist groups across the region from Mauritania to Chad. There are currently 3,000 French troops in the region, according to the ministry. The colonel said French forces involved in the raid had “acted in coordination with Malian authorities.” |
| “Operation Barkhane is an operation that never stops,” Colonel Jaron said. | “Operation Barkhane is an operation that never stops,” Colonel Jaron said. |