"The killing of Ag Moussa, a former soldier in the Mali army who turned to jihadism, could thus be even more significant.

According to the Counter-Extremism Project (CEP), he in 2017 became the operational chief of GISM under its leader Iyad Ag Ghaly. 

It has become one of the main jihadist forces in the Sahel along with the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) group, which is also is sworn enemy."