The army of Mali announced on Saturday that it had detained two men, one of whom was a prominent member of the Islamic State group’s Sahelian branch.
The army declared that during an operation in the country’s north, they had also killed a number of the group’s fighters.
A statement from the army said they had arrested “Mahamad Ould Erkehile alias Abu Rakia”, as well as “Abu Hash”, who they said was a leading figure in the group.
They accused him of organizing attacks against the army and atrocities against civilians in the northeastern Menaka and Gao regions.
Since 2012, Mali has experienced severe instability connected to local criminal gangs as well as terrorists affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State organization.
The military leaders of the nation have severed their relations with France, the previous colonial power, and have shifted their political and military allegiance to Russia.
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