More than 20 Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) members were killed in a new coordinated air operation in the northeast by Nigerian troops working with the US Africa Command, according to the Defense Headquarters (DHQ).
According to the military, intelligence information on the movement and consolidation of terrorist elements in the area prompted the strikes in the general Metele area.
Maj.-Gen. Samaila Uba, the Director of Defense Information, made this announcement in a statement on Monday.
The statement said that the operation was a component of continuous operations to destroy terrorist networks and deny safe havens to rebels in Nigeria.
It clarified that ISIS/ISWAP members who were seen regrouping in the region prior to the attack were the focus of the coordinated airstrikes.
The DHQ described the operation as a significant victory in the counter-insurgency operations, claiming that it eliminated over 20 terrorists.
It further stated that ongoing operations to weaken terrorist capabilities throughout the Northeast will be carried out by the Armed Forces of Nigeria in collaboration with US Africa Command.
The military added that the ongoing operations are intended to stop terrorist movements, remove combatants from the battlefield, and stop them from regrouping.
Maj.-Gen. Uba emphasized the military’s dedication to protecting Nigeria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity while reiterating that there would be no safe harbor for terrorists anywhere in the nation.
The development coincides with Nigeria and the United States’ ongoing counterterrorism collaboration in the wake of recent reports of a combined operation that killed a senior ISIS-affiliated individual in the area.
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