By Tata Mbunwe
The Malian military says it has killed a senior Islamic State commander whom the United States had placed a $5 million bounty (approximately FCFA 3.06 billion) on his head.
Abu Huzeifa, also called Hugo, was reportedly killed by a joint force comprising troops from Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, according to the Malian state TV, ORTM.
The jihadist leader had been linked to several high-profile raids in the Sahel region, including a 2017 attack that resulted in the deaths of four American soldiers and several troops from Niger.
The recent operation resulted in the destruction of a significant amount of weapons belonging to Abu and his group, the Malian Army Chief of Staff said in a statement.
On October 4, 2017, nine soldiers, including four Americans and five Nigerians, were killed in an ambush by jihadists near Tongo-Tongo, close to the border with Mali.
The statement also mentioned the interception of another terrorist suspect of foreign nationality in the Timbuktu region on April 27, 2024.
The successful operation is a significant achievement for the FAMa and the joint forces combating terrorism in the Sahel.
