The French military just announced it killed the head of Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) after a seven-year manhunt.

“On 3 June, French army forces with the support of their local partners, killed al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb’s emir, Abdelmalek Droukdel, and several of his closest collaborators, during an operation in northern Mali,” said Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly.

In the same press release, the French also announced the capture of a high ranking Islamic State leader, which is extremely impressive considering they only have around 5,500 troops to cover the entire Sahel region of Africa.

The following footage is several years old, but shows French troops operating in Mali and northern Africa during combat operations.