France Claims Killing the Senior Leader of Extremist Group in Mali

The ministry confirmed that Ali Maychou, one of the leaders of a group called "Nusrat al-Islam", was killed in Mali on 9 October.

French troops killed Moroccan Ali Maychou, co-founder of a group named GSIM, in Mali last month.

Defence Minister Florence Parly made the announcement aboard a government plane as she returned from an official visit to the region.

Maychou was "the second most-wanted terrorist in the Sahel", after GSIM's number one, Iyad Ag Ghaly, Ms Parly told AFP.

The group is responsible for attacks on Malian and French troops as well as UN peacekeepers.