The Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM) has categorically dismissed reports claiming the demise of its second-in-command, Sidna Ag Hita, following an airstrike in central Mali.
Close associates of Ag Hita, who serves as a key lieutenant to JNIM’s emir Iyad Ag Gali, confirmed that he remains unharmed and actively leading operations. These sources emphasized that the death claims lack any credible evidence, as the group has issued no official statement regarding his injury or death.
On May 27, the Africa Legion reported conducting an overnight aerial and rocket barrage targeting a rural encampment linked to JNIM in the Diabali region. The operation was justified under intelligence suggesting Ag Hita’s presence within the compound at the time of the strike.
However, JNIM’s swift rebuttal underscores the persistent challenges in verifying battlefield claims in Mali’s volatile security landscape.
