Tripoli: A senior Al Qaeda member was killed in Libya by troops of General Khalifa Haftar, an Algerian security source said Saturday.
Djilali Mansour, alias Abu Younes, was killed with five other Al Qaeda-linked militants, including two Algerians, in an area near Benghazi, Xinhua quoted the source as saying.
Abu Younes was from Algeria` s western province of Sidi Belabes. He joined the fiefs of the dismantled Islamic Armed Group (GIA) in 1996.
Later, he became a senior member at the consultation council of the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).
His presence in Libya was probably a sign of his split from AQIM to join Islamic State (IS) linked group of the Caliphate Soldiers, the source said, adding that was in Libya not to fight, but rather to acquire arms and make contacts with local armed groups.
He was probably killed Dec 2 during bombardment by troops of General Haftar. His body was discovered near the city of Benghazi, and then identified according to the documents he was carrying with him, the source said.
