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By: Kingsley Omonobi – Abuja.

Troops of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), have eliminated a top Leader of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), Ammar Bin-Umar, in Lake Chad during massive airstrikes.

The top ISIS Commanderbis believed to have been sent by ISIS to coordinate terrorist attacks by the Islamic State West Africa (ISWAP) which is holding sway and operating from the Tumbuns in Lake Chad against targets in Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon.

A military intelligence officer who confirmed the elimination of the top ISIS Commander said the coordinated airstrikes were spearheaded by Nigerian Air Force Super Tucano jets in coordination with the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF), Niger Air Task Force’s Mi35 and Mi171 helicopter Gunship on April 14, 2022, in Arinna in Marte Local Government of Borno state.

Ammar Bin-Umar was said to have been killed while attempting to flee the Lake Chad, following the week-long sustained battlefield onslaught by a combination of troops of Operation Desert Sanity and the MNJTF Lake Sanity on identified Boko Haram/ ISWAP strongholds which have so far eliminated over 100 terrorists including ten other Commanders.

“The Intelligence-led surgical strikes in Kwalaram, Sabon Tumbun and Jibularam have forced the terror groups to relocate and seek to refuse in new hiding positions in Kwalori, Doron Kirta, Buningyil and Lokon Libi areas within the vast Lake Chad”, the source said.

“Some ISIS Mujahedeen’s who survived the aerial bombardments were immediately evacuated to Kirta around 1800 hours, and afterwards conveyed on two flying boats with sacks containing money suspected to be funding for the ISWAP, in an attempt to escape through the axis of Chikka and Mardas, both within the Cameroonians border towns”.

The source pointed out that Ammar Bin-Umar was among the top ISIS Mujahedeen’s dialogue committee deployed to the Boko Haram/Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), caliphates in Feb 2022, to intervene following prolonged fighting of supremacy among the Jamā’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’wah wa’l-Jihād of Boko Haram factions and the ISWAP.

“The ISIS envoys also came to oversee the establishment “Darul Quran”, a radicalization training camp in Kayowa, Kurnawa, Arge, Metele and Tumbum Allura, for the recruitment, training and induction of child militant fighters”.

A Counter-Insurgency Expert with knowledge of Lake Chad, Zagazola Makama disclosed that Darul Ilm and Darul Qur’an” Institutions had trained hundreds of child soldiers in combat, non-combat operations, bomb-making, martial arts, manufacturing of VIBIED as well as other weapon handling technical training, with funding from “Albahrul Islam, an ISIS supported institute in Somalia.

Intelligence sources also reveal growing apprehension and panic among Boko Haram/ISWAP elements, over clearance Operations of the MNJTF task force in some of its strongholds in Abadam and Marte local government areas.

In leaked exchanges among/between the terrorist camps, they disclosed that women and children had been forcefully relocated to a safe hideout, to prevent them from the attacks, while Mujahedeen have been directed to take defensive Positions to defend themselves in the Daula.

Vanguard News Nigeria