West Africa’s Top ISIL Leader is Killed: Niger Army

By Al Mayadeen English

24 Jun 2024 15:28

Military commander says top ISIL leader Abdullah Suleiman Adwal is announced dead.

Niger's army announced it had killed a significant Islamic State member during a military operation in the western part of the country.

The confrontation occurred in the Tillaberi region, an unstable area known as the "three borders" zone between Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso. Despite heavy security force presence, insurgents have conducted attacks there for years.

The army reported that Abdoulaye Souleymane Idouwal, described as "an influential member of the Islamic State," was killed in a raid on Friday. Additionally, on Thursday, nine "terrorists" were killed, and 31 were arrested in an operation in the same region.

The army claimed to have "destroyed the attackers' means of movement" and "seized their communication equipment."

Civilians in Tillaberi are often targeted by jihadist fighters, leading to significant displacement.

Niger is currently governed by military leaders who took power in a coup in July, citing the deteriorating security situation as the reason for their takeover.

It is worth noting that the military government is also battling Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in other regions.