Mali jihadist group denies claims of top leader’s death after air strike

Mali: JNIM leadership denies reports of high-ranking official’s death following airstrike

The Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM) has firmly rejected recent claims about the demise of Sidna Ag Hita, a key figure and second-in-command within the organization, closely associated with its leader Iyad Ag Gali. These assertions emerged shortly after the African Legion reported targeting him in a nocturnal aerial operation near Diabali, located in central Mali.

Reliable sources within JNIM have categorically denied these reports, affirming that Ag Hita remains alive and in good health. They emphasized that no credible evidence supports the claims of his death, nor has the group issued any statement confirming such an incident.

On the night of May 27, the African Corps conducted a military operation involving an airstrike and rocket fire against a rural encampment believed to be under JNIM control. According to the corps’ official statement, intelligence suggested that Ag Hita was present at the targeted site during the raid.