Top ISIS Commander, Abrahim Boubacar, Surrenders to Malian Army Shortly After Fellow Leader Was Killed

A senior commander of the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS), Abrahim Boubacar, also known as “Oubel” or “Houbbel”, has surrendered to the Malian Armed Forces (FAMa) alongside ten of his men, days after the army neutralised another prominent jihadist leader, Abou Dahda, in a separate operation.

The surrender occurred on Saturday, June 28, 2025, at a FAMa military post in the Lellehoye area of the Ansongo circle, according to multiple security and local sources. The men arrived on five motorcycles and handed over their weapons and equipment before proceeding to the town of Ansongo under military escort.

Military officials say the combatants are being processed in accordance with human rights standards, with their safety and physical integrity fully guaranteed.

This development came shortly after the FAMa announced the killing of Abou Dahda, another high-ranking ISGS leader, and his bodyguard during a military operation in the Ménaka region on the same Saturday. The timing of Oubel’s surrender suggests the growing effectiveness of sustained counterterrorism pressure on jihadist groups in the Sahel.

Authorities have described the surrender as a boost to ongoing peace and reconciliation efforts, encouraging combatants to lay down arms in exchange for reintegration. Mali’s transitional government has been promoting dialogue and disarmament to restore peace, particularly in volatile northern regions like Gao, Ménaka, and Timbuktu.

The surrender and successes in eliminating terrorists and their bases are seen as a potential turning point in Mali’s long fight against extremist violence, which has plagued the country since 2012.

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