NOUAKCHOTT, Mauritania (Reuters) — Al Qaeda’s North African arm said on Tuesday that it had beheaded a French hostage in retaliation for France’s intervention in Mali, Mauritania’s ANI news agency reported, citing a commander for the group.

ANI reported that in a telephone call to the agency, which has close links to Islamist militants, the commander said the hostage, Philippe Verdon, was beheaded on March 10 “in response to the French military intervention in the north of Mali.”

Mr. Verdon was one of two French hostages kidnapped in Hombori, a town in northern Mali, in November 2011.

The French Foreign Ministry declined to comment on the report, which could not be independently verified.