Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) appointed a Mauritanian and an Algerian to replace its slain chiefs, ANI reported on Monday (September 23rd), citing a source from northern Mali.
Algerian national Said Abou Moughatil replacesAbdelhamid Abou Zeid as head of the Tariq Ibn Ziyad katibat. As field commander of the terror group’s Sahara emirate, Abou Zeid (real nameMohamed Ghadir) was responsible for beheading British hostage Edwin Dyer in 2009 and 78-year-old Frenchman Michel Germaneau in 2010.
A Mauritanian citizen known as Abderrahmane (alias “Talha”) takes over the Al Vourghan brigade. He replaces Mohamed Lemine Ould Hassen (also known as Abdallah Al Chinguetti), who was killed during the military intervention in Mali.
“Talha” reportedly joined AQIM in 2006. He was part of the group that controlled Timbuktu last year before being ousted by the French and African forces.
