Islamic Extremist Surrenders To ICC For Destroying Timbuktu Monuments
An Islamic extremist wanted for his role in the 2012 destruction of religious and historically significant monuments in Timbuktu, Mali. Ahmad Al Mahdi Al Faqi, also known as Abu Tourab, was surrendered by Nigerian authorities, to the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) detention center in the Netherlands, fulfilling an arrest warrant issued in mid-September.
Al Faqi is alleged to be a member of Ansar Dine, which is an extremist group with ties to Al Qaeda, and is suspected to have played a significant role in the group’s destruction of 14 of the city’s 16 mausoleums. After over a year of conflict, French forces were able to recover the city from Ansar Dine’s grasp, which allowed the UN to restore the mausoleums.
