Malian militants confirm Abu Zeid death

Sources close to the Tuareg National Movement to Liberate Azwad (MNLA) militant group currently fighting in northern Mali have confirmed the death of al-Qaeda leader Abdelhamid Abu Zeid, following a deadly French strike on Wednesday. Earlier reports suggested the al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) leader had been killed, along with 40 other militants, in a French attack in Taghrar, close to the Algerian border. French troops also arrested three fighters, reportedly affiliated with Abu Zeid. The prominent al-Qaeda leader, who joined the organisation in 1993 and gained notoriety through his Tarik bin Zayed battalion, had recently managed to escape Timbuktu following intensive French air strikes on the historic city.