Abdelmalek Droukdel

Abdelmalek Droukdel (; 20 April 1970 – 3 June 2020), also known by his alias as Abu Musab Abdel Wadoud , was the emir, or leader, of the Algerian Islamic militant group Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), formerly the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC). He was killed during a French special operation during the Battle of Talahandak.

Early life and education Droukdel was born in Meftah, Algeria, on 20 April 1970. He earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics from the University of Blida before joining the insurgency in 1996.

Afghan War, Algerian Civil War and the GSPC Droukdel returned to Algeria after fighting in the Afghan civil war, and joined the GSPC. Droukdel was a regional leader of the GSPC for several years before becoming the group's commander in 2004 following the death of then-leader Nabil Sahraoui. His mentor was Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi. After the killing of al-Zarqawi in 2006, Droukdel published a statement on a website and stated "O infidels and apostates, your joy will be brief and you will cry for a long time... we are all Zarqawi." Droukdel is believed to have been responsible for introducing suicide bombing to Algeria.

Emir of AQIM

Under Droukdel's leadership the GSPC sought to develop itself from a largely domestic entity into a larger player on the international terror stage. As the new leader of the GSPC, Droukdel reorganised the group, and continued targeting civilians. He was unable to quell the rumblings between factions. Droukdel played a significant role in this merger.

Droukdel ousted Mokhtar Belmokhtar from the organisation in late 2012 for Belmokhtar's "fractious behaviour". Journalists discovered a document attributed to Droukdel and dated 20 July 2012 in Timbuktu that criticised militants for implementing Islamic law too quickly in Mali. He believed the destruction of shrines would provoke Western governments to intervene in Mali.

Designation In December 2007, the United States Department of the Treasury imposed financial sanctions and froze Abdelmalek Droukdel's assets under Executive Order 13224.

Death The French government said on 5 June 2020 that Droukdel, and members of his inner circle, had been killed by French special forces during the Battle of Talahandak, in far north Mali two days earlier. AQIM confirmed Droukdel's death two weeks later. He was replaced by Abu Ubaidah Youssef al-Annabi as the leader of AQIM.