The Nigerien army announced on Monday the killing of Ibrahim Mahamoud, known as “Bakura”, the leader of the terrorist group Boko Haram, in an airstrike in the Lake Chad basin, while the group denied the claim. The Nigerien army stated that Mahamoud and several senior leaders were neutralized in three consecutive operations on August 15. The statement added that Mahamoud had been under surveillance for weeks before the operations that led to their neutralization. Conversely, Boko Haram denied the army’s statement, describing it as “propaganda.” According to media reports, Bakura assumed leadership of Boko Haram after the death of its former leader Abubakar Shekau in 2021. Boko Haram, mainly active in Nigeria, has caused tens of thousands of deaths since 2009. Since 2015, the group has expanded attacks into Cameroon, Chad, and Niger, with at least two thousand people killed in the Lake Chad basin due to its attacks.