Malian and French troops have arrested a close associate of a preacher whose jihadist group has claimed dozens of attacks against Western and Malian targets.
Alhousseyni Assaleh who is in charge of logistics for the Macina Liberation Front was arrested earlier in July during a joint operation in the Timbuktu region.
Mali’s security minister, General Salif Traoré says the arrest was kept secret until now because of ongoing efforts to capture others in his network.
The group based in central Mali’s Mopti region is led by cleric Amadou Koufa who has called upon followers to take up arms and rebuild the historic Fulani empire of Massina.
