Mokhtar Belmokhtar

Mokhtar Belmokhtar
Mokhtar Belmokhtar in January 2013.
Born	Mokhtar Belmokhtar (1972-06-01) 1 June 1972 (age 44) Ghardaïa, Algeria
Nationality	Algerian
Other names	The One-Eyed, Abu Khaled, al-Aouer, Bal'ur, Laaouar
Known for	In Amenas attack and hostage-taking, kidnapping, smuggling
Criminal penalty	2004 – life imprisonment; for forming terrorist groups, robbery, detention and use of illegal weapons 2007 – sentenced to death; for forming terrorist groups, carrying out armed attacks, kidnapping foreigners, importing and trafficking of illegal weapons 2008 – sentenced to death; for murdering 13 customs officers
Military career
Allegiance	Armed Islamic Group of Algeria (1993–1998) al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (1998–2012) al-Mulathameen (2012–August 2013) al-Mourabitoun (August 2013–present)

Armed Islamic Group of Algeria (1993–1998)
al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (1998–2012)
al-Mulathameen
(2012–August 2013)

Mokhtar Belmokhtar (Arabic: مختار بلمختار; born 1 June 1972), also known as The One-Eyed, The Uncatchable, is an Algerian leader of the group Al-Murabitoun, former military commander of Al-Qaeda in the Maghreb and smuggler and weapons dealer. He was twice convicted and sentenced to death in absentia under separate charges in Algerian courts: in 2007 for terrorism and in 2008 for murder; in 2004 he was sentenced to life imprisonment in Algeria for terrorist activities.

Born in northern Algeria, Belmokhtar traveled to Afghanistan in 1991 to fight with the mujahadeen against the pro-Soviet government following the withdrawal of Soviet Union troops. There he lost his left eye while mishandling explosives. He later joined the Islamist GIA fighting in the Algerian Civil War and following that became a commander in the Mali-based Islamist Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).