Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, says Abu Musad Al-Barnawi, a leader of the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP), is dead.

The military chief confirmed this while speaking to journalists at the weekly ministerial briefing in the State House, Abuja.

Barnawi’s death comes months after Abubakar Shekau, Boko Haram leader, was reported to have been killed by ISWAP fighters in a gun battle.

On the operations of the military in the Southeast geo-political zone, the army chief says the operation of the military is peculiar, but not discriminatory.

The CDS said that despite the military engagement in the South-east, he had discussions with people of the area.

When asked when military operations will end in the northeast, Irabor says the army is still assessing the situation, and cannot say when the operations will be concluded.