Sri Lanka, June 6 -- North African al-Qaeda leader Abdelmalek Droukdel has been killed in an operation by French forces in Mali.

French Defense Minister Florence Pali said he along with many other Al Qaeda activities had died.

As head of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), Droukdel was in charge of all affiliates in north Africa and also commanded al-Qaeda's Sahel affiliate, Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM).

She also stated that French troops were operating near the Algerian border in Mali.

Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), is accused of abducting and attacking Westerners in the sub-Saharan region of Africa.

The French Defence Minister said al-Qaeda's North African operations would also be disabled.

In the late 1...