Al-Qaeda’s North African wing (Aqim) yesterday confirmed the death of two of its senior commanders in Mali earlier this year, veteran jihadist Abdelhamid Abou Zeid and brigade commander Abdallah Al Chinguetti, Mauritania’s Ani news agency said.

The death of Abou Zeid, who made millions of dollars kidnapping Western hostages over the past decade, had already been announced “with certainty” by France in March after clashes with its troops in northern Mali.

Aqim, however, had not until now officially confirmed the death of Abou Zeid, the leader of one of its southern brigades and a trusted lieutenant to the group’s elusive leader, Abdelmalek Droukdel.

The Aqim statement sent to ANI said Abou Zeid had been killed in fighting with French-led forces in February in the Adrar des Ifoghas mountains in remote northeastern Mali. France launched a massive military operation in January that succeeded in driving Islamists from Mali’s north.