Al Qaeda in North Africa names new leader to succeed Droukdel

Al Qaeda`s North Africa branch (AQIM) has appointed a new leader and confirmed the death of its former leader Abdelmalek Droukdel who was killed by the French army in June, SITE Intelligence Group said on Saturday.

U.S.-based SITE, which monitors jihadist websites, said AQIM displayed the dead body of its former leader for the first time in a video.

The French army killed Droukdel in Mali after hunting him for more than seven years in the Sahel region.

AQIM said that following Droukdel`s death, another Algerian, Sheikh Mujahid Yazid Mubarak, also known as Abu Ubaida Yusuf al-Annabi, was chosen as successor.

The group also confirmed the death of Swiss Beatrice Stockly who was kidnapped from the Malian city of Timbuktu in January 2016.