Death of Sahrawi is a blow for Islamic State in Sahel - French minister

PARIS (Reuters) - The death of the leader of Islamic State in the Sahel region Adnan Abu Walid al-Sahrawi is a decisive blow and Daesh in the region will have difficulty to replace him, French Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly said on Thursday.

"The death of Sahrawi is a decisive blow to Daesh in Sahel and its cohesion. It will have difficulty replacing its leader with someone of that importance," Parly told a news conference.

President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday that French military forces had killed Sahrawi, the leader of Islamic State in the Greater Sahara.

(Reporting by John Irish; Writing by Matthieu Protard; Editing by Alex Richardson)