Nigeria’s military has reported killing dozens of armed men in separate operations across the country’s troubled northwest and northeast regions.
In Katsina State, northwest Nigeria, authorities said security forces repelled coordinated attacks on multiple villages on Tuesday, killing at least 30 suspected gunmen. The state’s commissioner for internal affairs, Nasir Mua’zu, said the assailants were intercepted by troops and police after launching deadly raids that left a civilian, two soldiers, and three policemen dead.
“Our gallant security forces successfully repelled the attackers. Thirty of the criminals were neutralised through coordinated air strikes as they attempted to escape,” Mua’zu said in a statement on Thursday. “We are working tirelessly with federal security agencies to ensure the safety of all citizens.”
In a separate operation in the country’s northeast, the Nigerian Army said 24 insurgents were “neutralised” between July 4 and 9 during joint land and air offensives in Borno State, targeting fighters from Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
“These coordinated operations were supported by close air support and local forces,” said Army spokesperson Reuben Kovangiya. “The operations underscore the determination of Operation Hadin Kai troops to place terrorists on the back foot and restore socioeconomic activities in the North East.”
The northeast has been plagued by extremist violence since the Boko Haram insurgency erupted in 2009. Over 35,000 people have been killed and more than two million displaced, according to United Nations figures.
Meanwhile, the northwest remains plagued by armed gangs involved in banditry and mass abductions. Despite occasional peace accords, including a recent one in Katsina with several bandit leaders, attacks and insecurity persist in the region.
Nigerian military claims in similar operations have faced skepticism in the past, with independent verification often limited due to restricted media access to affected areas.
