Malian Armed Forces Capture Key EIGS Leader In Gao Region

The Malian Armed Forces (FAMa) have announced the arrest of a senior leader of the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (EIGS), Mahamad Ould Erkehile, also known as Abou Rakia and recently Abou Hach.

The operation, carried out on Jan. 3, 2025, in Amasarakad, approximately 120 km from Bourem in the Gao region, led to the neutralization of several fighters and the recovery of significant military equipment, including materials for the fabrication of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).

According to a statement from the Malian General Staff, the operation was executed with “remarkable professionalism” and targeted a high-value individual long sought by intelligence services.

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Erkehile has been identified as the coordinator of numerous atrocities, including mass killings, abuses against civilians in Ménaka and Gao regions, and the February 2018 attack on the village of Inwelan. This attack, characterized by the burning of the Holy Quran and the slaughter of civilians, remains one of the most heinous acts attributed to him.

Preliminary investigations revealed Erkehile’s active collaboration with other senior EIGS leaders, including Abou Houzeifa and Ossama Madalo, both of whom have been neutralized in previous operations. His connections with Abdoul Walid Alsaharoui, Abdel Hakim Alsaharoui, and Rhissa Alsaharoui were also confirmed.