Algerian authorities have killed a senior member of the country's main Islamic militant group with suspected ties to al Qaeda, a security source said on Monday. Malik Nacer, also known as emir Abu Ayoub, was killed by security forces on Sunday, a security source, who declined to be named, told Reuters. "This is a big fish because he has been in the terrorist network for more than a decade and we are happy that he is neutralised," he said.Nacer, who kept a low profile, was suspected of being a founding member of the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat, which is on the U.S. list of foreign terrorist organisations. Working on information obtained from rebels captured last week, army units tracked down Nacer to a house in the Zermouri area, some 30 km (20 miles) east of the capital Algiers. Nacer's death came as the military intensified a sweep on rebel strongholds in the north of Algeria.