About four months after killing Abu-Bilal Al-Manuki, ISIS second-in-command in Lake Chad in a joint operation with Nigerian military forces, U.S. authorities have offered $8 million reward for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of ISIS leader, Sanaullah Ghafari.

The U.S. Department of State announced reward for anyone with information on Mr Ghafari’s whereabouts in a statement on Tuesday.

“Rewards for Justice is offering a reward of up to $8 million for information on ISIS-K leader Sanaullah Ghafari, ” the state department said.

It added, “In June 2020, ISIS core leadership appointed al-Muhajir, also known as Shahab al-Muhajir, to be the leader of ISIS-K, a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization.”

According to state department, an ISIS communiqué announcing his appointment described Mr Ghafari as an experienced military leader and one of ISIS-K’s “urban lions” in Kabul involved in guerrilla operations and the planning of suicide and complex attacks. 

Mr Ghafari was born in 1994 in Afghanistan. He is responsible for approving ISIS-K operations throughout Afghanistan and arranging funding to conduct operations.

In mid May, U.S. forces in collaboration with the Nigerian military forces killed ISIS second-in-command, Mr Al-Minuki and several insurgents. 

Mr al-Mainuki is a Nigerian, born in Mainok, Benisheikh, Borno State, the battleground of the decade-long insurgency in Nigeria.

In 2018, he served as regional commander in ISIS after Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) leader Mamman Nur was killed. He was later made second-in-command in the terror group before his elimination in May.