The recent claim that Sidna Ag Hita, a prominent figure closely aligned with Iyad Ag Gali and second-in-command of the Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), had been killed in an airstrike in central Mali has been firmly refuted by reliable sources within the militant group.

According to insiders who spoke directly with JNIM affiliates, Ag Hita remains alive and in good health. They dismissed the reports as baseless, noting that no official statement or credible evidence has been issued by the group confirming his death or injury.

Earlier reports, attributed to African Legion sources, had suggested that Ag Hita was targeted during a nighttime air and rocket assault on a rural camp near Diabali on May 27. The operation was said to have been conducted based on intelligence indicating his presence at the site.