Mokhtar Belmokhtar: former Al Qaeda leader 'killed in air strike'
The one-eyed militant with a £3m bounty on his head was targeted by American warplanes in Libya

The Libyan government claims that a US air strike has killed Mokhtar Belmokhtar, the mastermind behind the Algerian gas plant siege and one of the most elusive jihadists in the region.
The Pentagon confirmed that warplanes were sent to target Belmokhtar in the in the eastern Libyan city of Ajdabiya, but as yet has no evidence of his death. "We are continuing to assess the results of the operation and will provide more details as appropriate," said spokesman Colonel Steve Warren.
Belmokhtar was behind the 2013 attack on the BP gas plant where hundreds of people were taken hostage and 40 people died, including six Britons and three Americans. He has been on the US terror list for 12 years and a $5 million (£3.2 million) bounty was put on his head.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
But Belmokhtar's death has been reported prematurely in the past. In 2013, the military in Chad claimed to have killed him during fierce fighting in Northern Mali.
The militant, who lost an eye while waging jihad, has been dubbed "The Uncatchable" by French intelligence and was also known as Mr Marlboro for his role as a notorious cigarette smuggler.
He joined the Mujahedeen fighting Soviet forces in Afghanistan when he was barely 19 and went on to become one of the leaders of the influential terror group al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). "He is one of the best known warlords of the Sahara," said Stephen Ellis, an academic at the African Studies Centre in The Netherlands.
As well as the gas plant attack, Belmokhtar is also believed to be responsible for a twin car bombing in Niger that killed at least 25 people that same year and claims to have been to battlefronts "from Qardiz to Jalalabad to Kabul", the BBC reports.
He was dismissed for the terror group after infighting erupted in 2012 and on to set up a new jihadist group known as the Signed-in-Blood Battalion, the Masked Men Brigade and the Khaled Abu al-Abbas Brigade.
If confirmed, his death would represent "an extraordinary intelligence achievement against one of the most elusive and powerful jihadists in North Africa," says CNN.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Today's political cartoons - May 9, 2025
Cartoons Friday's cartoons - India-Pakistan tensions, pope hopeful, and more
-
The Week US terms and conditions
-
Leo XIV vs. Trump: what will first American Pope mean for US Catholics?
Today's Big Question New pope has frequently criticised the president, especially on immigration policy, but is more socially conservative than his predecessor
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designation
The Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
-
Inside the Israel-Turkey geopolitical dance across Syria
THE EXPLAINER As Syria struggles in the wake of the Assad regime's collapse, its neighbors are carefully coordinating to avoid potential military confrontations
-
'Like a sound from hell': Serbia and sonic weapons
The Explainer Half a million people sign petition alleging Serbian police used an illegal 'sound cannon' to disrupt anti-government protests
-
The arrest of the Philippines' former president leaves the country's drug war in disarray
In the Spotlight Rodrigo Duterte was arrested by the ICC earlier this month
-
Ukrainian election: who could replace Zelenskyy?
The Explainer Donald Trump's 'dictator' jibe raises pressure on Ukraine to the polls while the country is under martial law
-
Why Serbian protesters set off smoke bombs in parliament
THE EXPLAINER Ongoing anti-corruption protests erupted into full view this week as Serbian protesters threw the country's legislature into chaos
-
Who is the Hat Man? 'Shadow people' and sleep paralysis
In Depth 'Sleep demons' have plagued our dreams throughout the centuries, but the explanation could be medical