“Mali Forces Eliminate IS Commander Linked to US Casualties, State TV Reports”

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"Mali Forces Eliminate IS Commander Linked to US Casualties, State TV Reports"

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Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger Forces Report Killing IS Commander Abu Huzeifa

State TV in Mali has reported the killing of a senior Islamic State (IS) commander, Abu Huzeifa, who had a $5 million US bounty on his head. The operation involved troops from Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.

Abu Huzeifa, also known as Higgo, was linked to several high-profile raids in the Sahel region, including a 2017 attack that resulted in the deaths of four American soldiers and multiple troops from Niger.

Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have all faced relentless attacks by jihadist fighters. Under military rule, these countries have strengthened ties with Russia while distancing themselves from Western allies, such as the US. They have sought Russian military assistance while expelling troops from other nations.

The report on Mali’s state TV described Abu Huzeifa as a Moroccan national and a commander in IS’s self-styled Sahel Province. His death in an operation in the northern town of Indelimane in the Menaka region was hailed as “a victory against a bane of evil.”

The US government had been seeking Abu Huzeifa in connection with the 2017 attack on a US Special Forces team in Niger, which resulted in the deaths of four American and four Nigerien soldiers. IS claimed responsibility for the attack.