ISIS has released a list of the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) commanders that were gunned down by soldiers.
Nigerian troops in collaboration with Multinational Joint Task Force operatives had outclassed the terrorists in an encounter which happened some weeks ago.
The troops launched a major onslaught against ISWAP fighters in the Lake Chad and fringes of Sambisa forest.
Soldiers had stormed the camp of the terrorists, which harboured more than 3,000 fighters of the Abubakar Shekau’s faction of Boko Haram.
The fighters had joined ISWAP after the terrorist sect killed Shekau last year.
According to an intelligence report, the troops and the terrorists were locked in a gun battle which lasted for more than three hours.
Two terrorist commanders were reportedly arrested by the troops.
“Two terrorists were captured alive. During their testimonies, they confessed that the camp was led by top commanders led by one Abu Ikilima. Three Khayds (governors), three Munzul (commanding officers), 1 Nakib (commander) of the Boko Haram as well as several other fighters were neutralised,” the source said.
In a video released by ISIS, the names of the murdered ISWAP commanders were released.
They are:
Abu Musab al-Yobawi
Abu Nu’man al-Amni
Abu Abdullah al-Barnawi
Abu ‘Ammara al-Barnawi
Abu Anas al-I’alami
Abdul Malik al-Barnawi
Abu Sufyan al-I’alami
Shaykh Abu Bakr al-Da’wi
Abu Usama Goneri
Abu Sa’d al-Ansari
Abu Jabbar al-Barnawi
Abu Anas al-Barnawi
Abu Abdul Rahman al-Katsanawi
Abu Maryam al-Gaidami
Abu Salman al-Ansari
Baka Goneiri
Abu Mustafa al-‘Askari
Farooq al-Barnawi
Abu Ahmad al-I’alami
Al-Qassim Al-Barnawi
Mustafa al-Barnawi
Abbas al-Ansari
Musa al-Ansari
The news of the commanders’ death was broken days after the group was blamed for carrying out an attack that led to the death of dozens of worshippers at a Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State