Abou Zeid death confirmed: A day after the death of al-Qaeda commander Abou Zeid was confirmed, his replacement was named.
French authorities have confirmed that al-Qaeda commander Abou Zeid was killed last month in Mali. But on Sunday, his role was filled by an Algerian militant, according to reports.
Djamel Okacha was appointed as the new commander for al-Qaeda on the Islamic Maghreb, or AQIM, replacing Zeid.
Okacha, 34, is a close aide to Abdelmalek Droukdel, the secretive leader of AQIM, who is believed to be living in southern Algeria, according to AFP, citing Algerian Ennahar TV head Mohamed Mokkedem.
Mokkedem said that Okacha is the “real leader” of AQIM, and he will take charge over the group’s operations in southern Algeria and northern Mali. Unlike some of his colleagues, Okacha has not fought in Afghanistan.
On Saturday, France confirmed that Zeid was killed in operations in February.
Zeid was considered one of the most prominent and feared leaders of AQIM. Zeid is accused of masterminding several kidnappings in recent years and was described as a leader of the Islamist militant push to take over Mali.
His death was confirmed after France got positive results from DNA testing.
“The president of the French Republic confirms with certainty the death of Abdelhamid Abou Zeid after an offensive by the French army in the Adrar des Ifoghas,” the French presidential office told Reuters.
Zeid’s death was hailed Saturday as a major accomplishment during France’s two-month campaign to drive Islamist rebels out of northern Mali.
He was killed during military operations in the Adrar des Ifoghas mountains in Mali in February.
“The elimination of one of the main leaders of AQIM marks an important stage in the fight against terrorism in the Sahel,” the French presidential office said, according to AFP.
Zeid was linked to the killing of Briton Edwin Dyer in 2009 and the killing of French national Michel Germaneau in 2010, according to the BBC. He was also said to have overseen smuggling networks throughout northern Africa.
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