France announces capture of senior Islamic State figure in Mali

FILE PHOTO: French soldiers from Operation Barkhane, set up a temporary advanced operating base as they leave Gossi, Mali, April 17, 2022. REUTERS/Paul Lorgerie

PARIS (Reuters) - France announced on Wednesday that soldiers from its operation battling Islamist militants in the Sahel region of West Africa had captured Oumeya Ould Albakaye, a senior Islamic State figure in Mali.

The French Armed Forces ministry said Albakaye was captured by Operation Barkhane forces between the night of June 11 and the early hours of June 12 close to the border between Mali and Niger.