The Nigerian army has announced that it killed at least 20 jihadists in Yobe State, in the northeast of the country, in retaliation for a series of coordinated attacks on military bases in the region earlier this week.
Boko Haram and the Islamic State in West Africa (ISWAP) have stepped up operations against military and civilian targets as Nigeria continues to battle a jihadist insurgency that has lasted more than 16 years.
According to local civilian and military sources, attacks on Monday claimed at least 14 lives, including 10 soldiers, in Borno and Yobe States.
In a statement released Thursday, Nigerian army spokesperson Sani Uba said troops had repelled the “coordinated attacks” launched by ISWAP against a military base in Goniri late Monday night and early Tuesday morning. “More than 20 terrorists were neutralized, including a high-ranking commander identified as Abu Yusu, the Munzir of Dursula,” Uba said. He added that some soldiers had been injured, without providing a precise toll.
According to the United Nations, the insurgency in the region has claimed more than 40,000 lives and displaced around two million people.