AQIM denies reports of leader's death

Islamist militant group al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) has denied reports that its leader Abdelhamid Abou Zeid has been killed. Mauritanian newspaper Akhbar published a statement attributed to AQIM on Saturday which said that the group's appointment of Yahia Abou el-Hammam (real name Djamel Okacha), had nothing to do with the death of Abou Zeid. However, the group has now issued a statement denying the reports. "We would like to assure the Islamic nation that the reports about the killing of the emir of Saharan region are false," the Islamist group said, before threatening the French troops currently deployed in northern Mali.