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Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb announced that it executed French hostage Philippe Verdon on March 10 in Mali to retaliate for the French intervention in the country. AQIM said French president Hollande is responsible for the fate of the other six French hostages it holds. The group's spokesman also refused to confirm or deny reports of the deaths of Abu Zeid and Mokhtar Belmokhtar. The French military said 15 Islamist fighters had been killed recently in Gao and a large weapons cache had been seized.