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Libya's
government said on Sunday that Mokhtar, blamed for a deadly
assault on an Algerian gas field and a major figure in
insurgencies across North Africa, had died alongside other
militant leaders.
But a statement on the Twitter account of the Ansar al Sharia
militant group had a list of seven people it said had died in
the attack that did not include a name resembling Belmokhtar's.
"While we eulogize these heroes ... we deny the killing of any
other personalities besides those whom we have named who are
sons of this land (Libya)," the statement added.
Reuters could not verify the authenticity of the statement.
U.S. officials have not confirmed the reports that Belmokhtar
was killed in eastern Libya, saying on Monday that the F-15 jet
raid appeared to have succeeded but stopping short of commenting
on his demise.
(Reporting by Omar Fahmy; Writing by Yara Bayoumy; Editing by
Andrew Heavens)
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