A top commander of the Jamā’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’wah wa’l-Jihād (Boko Haram), Ari Ghana, and five of his bodyguards were killed by Nigerian troops in an ambush in Borno State on Saturday, September 25.
According to a top military source, the troops of 144 Battalion in collaboration with hybrid forces laid an ambush in the crossing point of the terrorists around the Mandara Mountains, where Ari Ghana and his team were expected to pass.
The source said that Ari Ghana was the second in command of Ali Ngulde, the leader of Boko Haram in Mandara Mountain, and had led dozens of attacks around Bama, Banki and Gwoza.
He said that Ari Ghana recently led an attack on a military escort patrol at Nvaha Village along Gwoza to Limankara, killing four passengers and military personnel.
He also said that Ari Ghana led an improvised explosive device (IED) attack between Banki and Darajamal in early September, killing several persons and burning vehicles.
The source said that the troops waited for the second batch of terrorists to arrive, suspecting that it was Ari Ghana and his team. The troops opened fire at them, killing five terrorists including Ari Ghana.
The source said that the death of Ari Ghana was another heavy blow on the Jamā’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’wah wa’l-Jihād (Boko Haram) terrorist group, and that the troops were determined to continue their offensive operations against the terrorists in Borno State.