France confirms death of Al-Qaeda chief Abou Zeid

The al-Qaeda-linked North African warlord Abou Zeid was killed in combat with French troops in Mali in February, France said Saturday, ending weeks of uncertainty about whether one of the group's leading commanders was dead.

In a statement Saturday the office of French President Francois Hollande said the death was "definitively confirmed" and that Abou Zeid's death "marks an important step in the fight against terrorism in the Sahel." (AP)