Ibrahim Bakoura, a senior Boko Haram member also known as
Abu Oumaima, has denied being killed by the Nigerien Armed Forces.
The government of Niger Republic announced on Tuesday that
Bakoura was killed alongside several high-ranking insurgents, in a series of
precision air strikes by its armed forces, on August 15.
The strikes reportedly targeted Boko Haram strongholds in
Korongol, Kournawa, and Shilawa in the country’s Diffa region.
Dozens of fighters were said to have been killed, with
logistical supplies destroyed.
Abdurahamane Tiani, Niger’s head of state, had earlier
identified Bakoura as one of the key actors allegedly involved in attempts to
destabilise the country.
However, in an intercepted communication obtained by
security sources, Bakoura was said to have dismissed reports of his death.
According to Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency
publication focused on the Lake Chad region, Bakoura was heard telling his
commanders that he read the news of his death on social media, as announced by
the Republic of Niger.
He admitted that the air strikes indeed took place but said
he was not among those killed.
Niger remains a frontline state in the regional fight
against terrorism.
Despite withdrawing from the Multinational Joint Task Force
(MNJTF), it often collaborates with Nigeria, Chad, and Cameroon under bilateral
engagement.
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