JUST IN: Over 20 ISIS fighters killed as US-Nigeria air strikes continue in Borno — DHQ
The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) says more than twenty ISIS/ISWAP fighters have been killed in fresh coordinated air strikes carried out by Nigerian forces in collaboration with the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) in Metele, Borno State.
According to the DHQ, the operation followed intelligence reports indicating the convergence and movement of terrorist elements within the area, prompting precision strikes on identified targets.
The military said the air operations successfully disrupted terrorist activities and further weakened insurgent networks operating in the North East.
The latest strikes come days after the neutralisation of ISIS commander Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, as security forces intensify efforts to eliminate terrorist threats and deny insurgents safe havens across the country.
In a statement signed on Monday by the Director of Defence Information, Major General Samaila Uba, the DHQ reaffirmed the Armed Forces’ commitment to restoring peace and security nationwide.
He said, “The Armed Forces of Nigeria remain fully committed to defending the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the nation.”
He further stated, “Terrorists and criminal elements threatening the peace, safety and stability of our country will continue to be identified, targeted and decisively defeated.”
The statement also warned that there would be no refuge for terrorist groups operating within Nigeria, adding, “There will be no safe haven for terrorists anywhere in Nigeria.”
The recent development comes days after United States and Nigerian special forces carried out a joint operation in the Lake Chad Basin, which led to the killing of Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, described as ISIS’s global second-in-command.
