Nigerian Army Kills Over Sixty Extremists, Eliminates Boko Haram Commander
(MENAFN) Nigerian military forces have reported killing over 60 insurgents, including a senior Boko Haram commander, in a series of coordinated air and ground operations targeting militant camps in the country’s troubled northeast.
The army confirmed that early Friday, troops launched two distinct assaults on Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) positions. These offensives were carried out in Borno state, a long-standing hotspot of extremist violence since 2009.
One major operation took place in Bita village, just outside Gwoza near the Cameroon border. The military said the raid on the Boko Haram hideout resulted in significant militant losses.
“The intense battle resulted in the neutralisation of at least 60 terrorists,” the statement on the Bita offensive read.
According to two intelligence sources who spoke to a journalist, Nigerian forces also conducted aerial strikes on camps in Bita and in Kareto village, located in the Abadam region near the Niger border.
“The 60 death toll was for the Bita operation, we still don't have details on the Kareto attack,” one source noted, suggesting the full casualty count may rise once further information is available.
Later that day, the military also targeted Boko Haram positions in Kukawa, a town along Lake Chad. According to a separate statement from the army, a key extremist leader was "fatally wounded" during the operation.
“His deputy, several explosives experts, and multiple other terrorists were also eliminated in the confrontation.” The military identified the fallen commander as Amir Abu Fatima, Boko Haram’s leader for the Kukawa area.
Abu Fatima had been a high-value target for Nigerian forces, with a reward of 100 million naira offered for information leading to his capture or death.
These successful strikes are expected to lift morale among Nigerian troops, who have suffered heavy losses in recent months due to insurgent attacks on military outposts across northern Borno.
Militants from both Boko Haram and ISWAP have ramped up their assaults on army positions, killing soldiers, seizing weapons, and destroying facilities. In just two months, more than a dozen military bases have been attacked, according to data compiled by the news outlet.
In addition to targeting the military, insurgents have stepped up attacks on civilian communities in Borno and the neighboring states of Adamawa and Yobe.
Last month, Borno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum expressed concern over the worsening security situation, stating that the extremists remain entrenched in remote strongholds.
“Military setbacks” continue to hinder efforts to fully reclaim regions such as the Lake Chad islands, the Sambisa Forest, and the Mandara mountain range near the Cameroonian border, the governor warned.
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