The Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) has officially acknowledged the death of a senior figure, Abu-Bilal al-Mainuki, following a United States special operations raid on the group’s stronghold in Nigeria’s Lake Chad region.
The terrorist organization confirmed the loss through its official media channels, describing al-Mainuki and other members of its media unit killed in the assault as “martyrs” — marking a rare public admission from the group.
The raid, which occurred approximately two weeks ago, targeted an ISWAP media and command facility deep within the Lake Chad basin. According to reports, the operation was a precision airborne assault backed by surveillance drones, intelligence assets, and attack aircraft, with its crosshairs set on high-value Islamic State-linked operatives.
In its statement, ISWAP claimed that American forces had tracked al-Mainuki for months using drone surveillance before executing what it called a large-scale airborne strike. The group also confirmed that its media headquarters was directly hit and that all personnel present at the facility perished.
At least three foreign ISIS-affiliated fighters were reportedly killed in the operation, along with several women believed to be connected to the militant camp. While ISWAP stopped short of releasing a full casualty figure, intelligence sources suggest the death toll among fighters could be as high as 175.
Security analysts say the strike has dealt a severe blow to ISWAP’s media apparatus and command structure along the Lake Chad corridor — a region long considered a critical hub for the group’s operations in West Africa.
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