AQIM has appointed Algerian national Said Abou Mouqatil as head of Tariq Ibn Ziyad katibat, replacing slain commander Abou Zeid, who was killed while fighting French forces in Mali in March. The group has also appointed a Mauritanian, Abderrahmane a.k.a. Abu Talha Al Mauritani, as head of the Al Farquan brigade, to replace slain commander Mohamed Lemine Ould Hassen a.k.a. Abdallah Al Chinguetti.
