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Israel says Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar killed in Gaza

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Israeli forces in Gaza killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, a chief architect of last year’s attack on Israel that sparked the war, the military said Thursday. Troops appeared to have run across him unknowingly in a battle, only to discover afterwards that a body in the rubble was Israel’s most-wanted man.

Israeli leaders celebrated his killing as a settling of scores just over a year after Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people in Israel and kidnapped 250 others in an attack that stunned the country.

“Hamas will no longer rule Gaza. This is the start of the day after Hamas,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.

Sinwar’s death is a crippling blow to Hamas, but the group has proven resilient to losses of past leaders. There was no immediate confirmation from Hamas of Sinwar’s death.

Netanyahu has said Israel will keep fighting until all the hostages are free, and that it will keep control over Gaza long enough to ensure Hamas does not rearm — an effective occupation that raises the possibility of months or even years of continued fighting.

Sinwar has been Hamas’ leader inside the Gaza Strip for years. He was elevated to the group’s top leadership position in July after his predecessor, Ismail Haniyeh, was killed in an apparent Israeli strike in the Iranian capital, Tehran.

Found by chance

In the past months, Israel has assassinated a string of senior figures from Hamas and Hezbollah with airstrikes. Israel has claimed to have killed the head of Hamas’ military wing, Mohammed Deif, but the group has said he survived.

But in Sinwar’s case, troops found him by chance.

Israel military spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said that Israeli forces identified three Hamas militants running from building to building in Gaza’s southernmost city, Rafah. The troops attempted to shoot them before they ran inside a building.

The Israeli military released drone video showing what it said were Sinwar’s last moments: In a room wrecked by shelling, a man sat in a chair, his face covered with a cloth, possibly to hide his identity. The video showed the man, with one wounded hand, throwing a stick at the drone.

The military then fired an additional shell at the building, causing it to collapse and killing Sinwar, Hagari said. He said Sinwar was found with a bulletproof vest, grenades, and 40,000 shekels ($10,707).

Some of Sinwar’s DNA had previously been found in tunnels near where troops found the bodies of six hostages at the end of August, Hagari said. The military believes weeks of searches in the area had pushed Sinwar to come out of hiding, he said.

Photos circulating online showed the body of a man resembling Sinwar with a gaping head wound, dressed in a military-style vest, half buried in the rubble of a destroyed building. The security official confirmed the photos were taken by Israeli security officials at the scene. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the ongoing investigation.

The military said three militants were killed in the operation. Police said one of them was confirmed as Sinwar by dental records, fingerprints and DNA tests. Sinwar was imprisoned by Israel from the late 1980s until 2011, and during that time he underwent treatment for brain cancer — leaving Israeli authorities with extensive medical records.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant addressed Hamas fighters, saying it “is time to go out, release the hostages, raise your hands, surrender.”

‘Symbol of resistance’

In the central Gaza town of Deir al-Balah, one Palestinian woman displaced from her home in the north said she hoped Sinwar’s death would bring an end to Israel’s campaign. “What more goals do they have than that? Enough. We want to go back,” said the woman, Umm Mohammed.

Some praised Sinwar as a symbol of resistance against Israel’s decades-long occupation of the Palestinians in the West Bank. Ahmed Hamdouna, who also fled his home in northern Gaza, said Hamas would be able to replace him. “After the leader, a thousand leaders will come. After the man, a thousand men will come,” he said.

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Troops hit Boko Haram hideouts in Borno, kill fighters

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Troops under the 7 Division, Sector 1 of Operation Hadin Kai have dealt another blow to Boko Haram, storming their strongholds in Tangalanga and Bula Marwa, both in Borno State.

According to details obtained by Zagazola Makama from military sources familiar with the mission, the operation was executed on Sunday, July 7, following “credible intelligence reports indicating the presence and activities of terrorist elements in the general area.”

The troops, acting swiftly on the information, first moved into Tangalanga where they came under attack but quickly responded, killing two insurgents during the engagement. The team didn’t stop there.

“After receiving intelligence on the massing up of terrorists within the location,” the sources said, “the team proceeded towards Bula Marwa.”

As soldiers approached the second target, Bula Marwa, the insurgents reportedly fled into the surrounding terrain in a bid to escape. However, their retreat was not entirely successful.

“One fleeing insurgent was neutralized during pursuit, while several special structures within the camp were destroyed,” a source confirmed.

Despite the tense situation and armed confrontation, the troops are said to have completed the mission without recording any casualties on their side — a significant morale boost for the ongoing counterinsurgency efforts in the region.

Recovered from the operation were key items, including aix AK-47 magazines, 90 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, and a Boko Haram flag.

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BREAKING NEWS: Imo Govt Demolishes Notorious Criminal Hideout at Nekede No. 1 by Imo ADP

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By Ambrose Nwaogwugwu, July 07, 2025.

In a bold and decisive move, the Imo State Government has continued its onslaught against criminality by demolishing a notorious hideout located at Nekede Number One, near the Imo ADP. The structure, long suspected to be a base for armed robbery and heinous organ harvesting operations, was brought down earlier today under the supervision of government security operatives and task force agents.

According to sources within the Governor’s Monitoring and Compliance Unit, the location had been under surveillance following multiple intelligence reports linking it to violent crimes, including coordinated robberies, drug trafficking, and suspected ritual killings involving human organs.

“This location was not just a criminal den; it was a grave threat to public safety and human dignity,” said an official involved in the operation. “Our government will not allow any part of the state to become a breeding ground for evil.”

Residents in the area had reportedly lived in fear for months, as the structure harbored criminals and served as a meeting point for underworld elements. Eyewitnesses described scenes of relief as the bulldozers rolled in and leveled the compound.

“I can finally sleep with my two eyes closed,” said one local resident who asked not to be named. “We’ve known for long that something very dark was happening there. We thank the state government for taking this action.”

Preliminary investigations are ongoing, and several suspects were said to have been apprehended during the raid. Authorities have assured the public that a full-scale investigation will follow, and all those involved in the criminal enterprise will be brought to justice.

This demolition is part of the Imo State Government’s renewed campaign to cleanse the state of criminal syndicates and restore law and order across all localities. In recent weeks, similar crackdowns have been executed in other parts of the state, drawing commendation from security stakeholders and the general public.

The state government has reaffirmed its commitment to making Imo safe for residents, investors, and visitors alike.

More updates to follow.

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Court Jails Nine Chinese for Cyber-terrorism, Internet Fraud

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Justice D. E.Osiagor of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Thursday, July 7, 2025, convicted and sentenced nine Chinese to one year imprisonment each for cyber-terrorism and internet fraud.

The convicts are Qin Xiao Yong, Luo Mao Yang, Liu Ni Ni, Liu Gang, Sun Qi (a.k.a Wan Jin Ping), Zhang Juan, Li de Wen, Fun Min, Tan Ming.

They are among the syndicate of 792 alleged cryptocurrency investment and romance fraud suspects arrested on December 19, 2024, in Lagos during a sting operation tagged ‘Eagle Flush Operation’ conducted by EFCC operatives.

They were subsequently arraigned on a separate one -count charge of cyber- terrorism and internet fraud in February 2025 by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

 

The charge reads: “ That you, Qin Xiao Yong, Luo Mao Yang, Liu Ni Ni, Liu Gang, Sun Qi (a.k.a Wan Jin Ping), Zhang Juan, Li de Wen, Fun Min, Tan Ming, sometime in December, 2024 at Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, conspired amongst yourselves to commit an offence to wit: cause to be accessed computer system used for the purpose of destabilising and destroying the economy and social structure of Nigeria and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 27 (1) (b) and punishable under Section 18(1) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc) Act 2015.”

They initially pleaded “not guilty” to the charge preferred against them.

However, at Monday’s sitting, they changed their “not guilty plea” to “guilty.”

In view of their pleas, prosecution counsel, R.A. Abdulrasheed, prayed the court to convict them accordingly.

Consequently, Justice Osiagor convicted and sentenced each of the defendants to one year imprisonment starting from the date of arrest on December 10, 2025, with a fine in the sum of N1,000,000 (One Million Naira (N1,000,000.00).

The judge also directed the Comptroller General of Immigration to ensure that the convicts are repatriated to their country of origin within seven days.

The judge further ordered that the mobile phones, computers, laptop computers and routers seized from them at the time of arrest be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission

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