ROME - French jets based in Djibouti "struck and likely killed" senior al Qaeda operative Mokhtar Belmokhtar, known as the "one-eyed terrorist", in a joint US-French operation, according to US officials cited by the Wall Street Journal.



The article recalled that previous reports of Belmokhtar's death have been false, but said that this time the "caliber of the intelligence" indicated that the strike "likely was successful".



Belmokhtar was responsible for the January 2013 attack on the Algerian In Amenas gas plant.



He formerly headed al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and formed his own al Qaeda-affiliated jihadist militia.



The Wall Street Journal recalled that he "raised tens of millions of dollars for al Qaeda affiliates through smuggling and by taking European hostages and selling illicit goods".

