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2h ago

Niger Says Airstrike Killed Boko Haram Leader Ibrahim Bakoura as Aide Denies

Analysts urge caution given the lack of independent verification.

FILE - Nigerian soldiers man a checkpoint in Gwoza, Nigeria, Wednesday April 8, 2015. (AP Photo/Lekan Oyekanmi, File)
Bakura took over from former Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau, whom the Nigerian authorities claimed to have killed several times
The Boko Haram jihadist group has been active in the Lake Chad basin for around 15 years
Boko Haram has fought a violent insurgency in northeast Nigeria for around 15 years

Overview

  • The Nigerien army announced on state TV that a Aug. 15 strike in the Lake Chad region killed Ibrahim Bakoura after weeks of tracking.
  • Officials said the operation on an island in Diffa also killed dozens of fighters and other senior figures in the group.
  • A close aide to Bakoura told AFP in an audio message that the claim is false and described the announcement as propaganda.
  • Experts note governments have previously misreported militant leaders’ deaths and say no proof has been provided to confirm this strike.
  • Bakoura leads a Shekau-loyal Boko Haram splinter based on Niger-side Lake Chad islands, in a conflict that has killed tens of thousands and displaced more than two million people.