The Malian Armed Forces (FAMa) have confirmed the killing of Souleymane AG Bakawa, alias “Soldat,” a senior Islamic State-linked jihadist leader, during a targeted operation in the Ménaka region.

Bakawa was neutralized in Chimam, northeast Mali, where he had long orchestrated kidnappings and assassinations of civilians and security personnel.

His death marks a significant gain in Mali’s ongoing counterterrorism efforts in the volatile Sahel zone.