Rhissa al-Sahraoui, one of the right-wing leaders of the Islamic State in the larger Sahara organization Abu Walid al-Sahraoui, was captured by French forces involved in the Sahel. He is believed to be one of four EIGS cadres captured during recent operations in northeastern Mali.
According to Nigeria’s security sources involved in the fighting, Rhissa al-Sahraoui is indeed a part of net hit last weekduring an operation carried out jointly by the Barkhane force and the Nigerian army. This close friend of Abu Walid al-Sahraouivient from Mujao, a Salafist group born in 2011 in northern Mali. He is known for his mastery of drones, which terrorists are increasingly using to plan their attacks.
The other important catch is Abou Darda, whose French staff announced the arrest on Wednesday. Finally, Djouleybib al-Sahraoui and Moussa Ineylou fill the list of prisoners.
An observer of the fighting in the Menaka region confirms these arrests. Contacted by RFI, the French staff declined to comment. It is a blow to EIGS, which already lost three weeks ago, its number 2, Abdel Hakim al-Sahraoui, after an illness.
These operations also testify to a refocusing of Barkhane’s actions towards Niger, following the announcement of its profound transformation. “Before Barkhane leaves Mali, he would therefore carry out large-scale operations,” explains a security analyst, while defining the Nigerian armed forces as its new privileged interlocutor. ”
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