French forces in Mali have captured a man they describe as a "high-ranking fighter of the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara" (EIGS), the French military said Wednesday, reports Yahoo! News.
Dadi Ould Chouaib, also known as Abou Dardar, was arrested on June 11 in the flashpoint "tri-border" region between Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, the site of frequent attacks by jihadist groups, the military said in a statement.
He was carrying "an automatic weapon, a night vision telescope, a combat vest, a telephone and a radio", but surrendered without resistance.
He was located during a helicopter sweep as part of a joint mission between troops from France's Barkhane operation and Nigerien forces.
Niger's army said in a statement late Wednesday that the joint operation, launched on June 8, had led to a clash Tuesday with "armed terrorists" which left a Nigerien dead and "12 terrorists neutralised".