The Nigerian Army has announced that its troops killed a key leader of the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) a key faction of the Boko Haram. The commander was killed during a joint operation between the army and the air force as part of its counter-terrorism operations.
The militant has been identified as ale Ahmad Sale a.k.a. Baban Hassan the leader of Al-Barnawi Media group, a faction of Boko Haram. The killing of the media leader is indicative of efforts by the Nigerian military to eliminate key members ISWAP. The killing of Baban comes barely a month since the leader of Boko Haram Abubakar Shekau resurfaced after months of speculation about his death.
Additionally, following the operations that led to the death of Baban and members of his cell, various propaganda and Islamic State paraphernalia were seized. The death of media commander could directly interfere with the group’s ability to spread propaganda as well as document its gains and attacks and as such hinder the spread of Boko Haram’s ISWAP’s core agenda as well as ISIS at large.
