Mali’s armed forces said on Saturday they had killed a senior figure in the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS), identifying him as a convicted al Qaeda affiliate who had previously served prison time in Spain for his links to the September 11, 2001 attacks.
In a statement, the military said the operation took place in the northeastern region of the country, where troops engaged the militant and his bodyguard during a targeted mission based on intelligence reports. The two were killed in a brief clash while reportedly pressuring local populations as part of a forced recruitment campaign.
The militant was identified as Imad Eddin Barakat, also known as Abou Dahdah, a Spanish national born in Syria. He had previously been convicted by a Spanish court for his association with the 9/11 plot and his links to al Qaeda. Barakat was sentenced to 27 years in prison, though the term was later reduced to 12 years
According to Malian and regional security sources, Barakat later joined ISGS, a group that has claimed responsibility for a series of deadly attacks across Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. In his role, he acted as both an ideologue and a technical expert in suicide bombings and improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and was reportedly connected to the Banibango attack in Niger earlier this year.
Security officials said Barakat’s presence in Mali was part of a broader effort by ISGS to radicalize and mobilize communities in remote areas of the Sahel in order to expand its operational base.
“This figure was not just symbolic; he was central to the group’s strategy of indoctrination and recruitment,” a spokesperson for a local pro-government militia told Reuters.
ISGS, which emerged as an offshoot of the Islamic State’s global network, remains active across parts of Mali where government forces have limited reach. The Malian army, which has been engaged in a years-long fight against Islamist insurgents, has stepped up operations in the country’s volatile northern and central regions.
The killing of Barakat marks a high-profile success for the Malian military, though security analysts warn that ISGS remains resilient, with deep local networks and access to arms and funding across porous borders
