France confirms death of hostage held in Mali

French authorities confirmed late Monday that the body found ten days ago in northern Mali is indeed Philippe Verdon, a 53-year-old engineer/consultant reported murdered in Mali last March. The Elysee Palace announced in a statement that Verdon's remains will be transferred to France for autopsy to determine how he died. The Islamist radical group Al-Qaeda for the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) claimed to have executed Verdon in retaliation for the French intervention in Mali last January. President Francois Hollande said Monday that "those responsible for the death of (Verdon) would be identified and brought to justice." Five more French hostages are still in the hands of extremist groups in Mali, mainly AQIM, which has over the past several years kidnapped French workers in Niger and taken hostages elsewhere.