Ivory Coast renegade warlord killed for ignoring disarm order

The leader of the ‘Invisible Commandos’, Ibrahim Coulibaly, was killed in an offensive on Wednesday, a defence ministry spokesman said. "I can confirm that Ibrahim Coulibaly was killed during fighting today," defence ministry spokesman Capt Alla Kouakou Leon was reported as saying by Reuters.

The Commandos had helped Ouattara gain control of parts of Abidjan during a post-poll dispute, but they had since splintered away and their respective forces clashed on Wednesday in the city, Ivory Coast's largest.

A commander of the defence ministry's fighters said they had found Coulibaly's body when they seized his headquarters.

Coulibaly, who had said he wanted recognition for his role in overthrowing Gbagbo, had sought an audience with Ouattara, however refusing a presidential order to disarm beforehand.

In retaliation, government forces launched an offensive in Abidjan's northern Abobo district to dislodge Coulibaly's forces.

Kouakou said that two government troops and six fighters loyal to Coulibaly men were also killed during the raid, which took place in a poor neighbourhood in the district.

His fighters had begun battling the troops of fallen strongman Laurent Gbagbo in February, after they fired mortar shells and rockets into Abobo.

Ouattara's predecessor, Laurent Gbagbo, was captured two weeks ago by pro-Ouattara forces after he refused to step down following his defeat in last November's presidential elections.

The former president and his wife Simone have been put under house arrest in separate towns in the north of the country.

Thousands are believed to have been killed and wounded during the recent crisis.