(New York Times) An extremist group based in the Sahara desert known for carrying out terror attacks in Algeria, Mali and Niger appears to have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group after years with its rival, al-Qaida.
If it is authenticated, the statement represents a major shift among extremist groups in the vast Saharan regions — and the possible demise of one of the most notorious extremists in the desert.
The audio recording from the Mourabitoune group was sent to a Mauritanian news agency late Wednesday that has carried its statements in the past and was in the name of Adnan Abu Walid al-Sahrawi, rather than the group's founder, Moktar Belmoktar, who gained notoriety for the January 2013 assault on an Algerian gas complex.