MAIDUGURI: Nigerian troops killed at least 18 Islamist militants and destroyed several insurgent enclaves in coordinated operations across Borno state, the military said on Wednesday, as security forces intensify pressure on Islamist groups in the northeast.
Borno, which is roughly the same size as Ireland, has endured an insurgency waged by Boko Haram and its splinter group Daesh West Africa Province for 17 years that has killed thousands and displaced 2 million people.
Military spokesperson Sani Uba said troops working with air force units and local auxiliaries carried out offensives in the Timbuktu axis and Bulabulin forest, targeting hideouts and supply networks. According to a statement released by Uba, eleven militants were killed in the Bulabulin region, while seven were slain in the Timbuktu region.
The operations form part of an ongoing campaign aimed at dismantling insurgent strongholds across the region after a recent assault on military bases that killed several troops, including senior officers. Air support provided surveillance and precision strikes, while follow-up operations were underway to track escaping fighters, Uba said.
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