The neutralized militant, identified as Abou Houzeifa, also known as “Hugo,” was responsible for numerous attacks on civilians and military personnel across Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso.
Houzeifa was a particularly high-profile target. The United States had previously offered a significant reward – 3.4 billion CFA francs (around $5 million) – for his capture due to his involvement in the deadly 2017 attack on US soldiers in Niger. He was directly linked to the assault on US Special Forces in Tongo Tongo, claimed by the Islamic State’s former regional leader, Adnan Abu Walid Al-Sahraoui.
Malian authorities also reported the arrest of another “foreign terrorist suspect” in Timbuktu on April 27th. These operations are part of an ongoing effort to combat terrorism in the Liptako Gourma region, which has seen a recent surge in militant activity.
Malian forces continue to target high-value individuals and dismantle terrorist networks in the region. This latest success is a significant blow to ISIS’s operations in the Sahel.
MD/ac/fss/abj/APA