French armed forces killed the leader of the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) jihadist militia.
As French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Thursday night on Twitter, Adnan Abu Walid al-Sahrawi was "neutralized".
Most of the attacks in the region between Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso are attributed to the ISGS.
"This is another great achievement in our fight against terrorist groups in the Sahel," added Macron.
The presidential palace confirmed the death of the militia leader.
Attacks by the ISGS and other militias on civilians in the region have recently increased.
Planned end of combat mission
Because of the growing violence in the Sahel region, the French president has been pushing for support from other European countries for years.
France currently has 5,100 soldiers stationed in the Sahel as part of the Barkhane combat mission, but wants to reduce their number to around half by the beginning of 2022 and end the combat mission.
In France as in the Sahel states, the mission has recently been increasingly criticized for lack of success.
The soldiers support the troops of the so-called G5 Sahel countries Mali, Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad in their fight against extremist groups. The Bundeswehr is also represented by several hundred soldiers in Mali as part of UN and EU missions. Since last year, under pressure from France, there has also been a European task force called Takuba in the region.