Mauritanian forces kill al-Qaeda leader

Islam Times: A senior military official in Mauritania's army, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that Tiyib Ould Sidi Ali -- a key member of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) -- was “eliminated” after Mauritanian soldiers conducted an air raid on a site in Mali's Wagadou Forest, located 110 kilometers (70 miles) from the border with Mauritania, on Thursday.

The Mauritanian army said AQIM, which is based in the Wagadou Forest, was preparing to mount an attack in Mauritania.

The senior leader of al-Qaeda's North African offshoot was wanted for his role in an attack in Mauritania in 2008.

In recent years, the Sahara region has seen a dramatic hike in the activities of smugglers and militants reportedly linked to AQIM, which has claimed responsibility for a number of attacks on foreigners in the area.