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 Operation Barkhane launched an operation to attack Islamic State in the Greater Sahara bases located in the Dangarous forest near In-Delimane, Mali. The battle killed the commander of ISGS, Adnan Abu Walid al-Sahrawi.[1]
Prelude[edit]
Two Islamic State fighters captured on July 14 reported the presence of ISGS camps in the Dangarous Forest, a notoriously wooded area that is difficult to access.[1][2] On August 17, French intelligence conducted initial operations in the forest, with a Reaper drone killing two armed men on a motorcycle.[3][1] One of the two killed turned out to be Adnan Abu Walid al-Sahrawi, the leader of Islamic State in the Greater Sahara, although this was not immediately identifiable.[4][3][5]
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[edit]
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[edit]
- ^ 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.