Africa

Home page

Africa

Nigerian troops kill 20 extremist militants in NE region

29 July 2022 06:31 (UTC +04:00)

At least 20 extremist militants were killed in the past two weeks by troops undertaking anti-terror operations in Nigeria's northeast region, the military said here Thursday, APA reports citing Xinhua.

Bernard Onyeuko, a spokesman for the military, told reporters at a news briefing in Abuja, the Nigerian capital, that a total of 2,016 militants and their families surrendered to troops at various locations in the northeast region within the period.

This brings to 55,000 the number of Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) militants and their families who have so far surrendered to troops in Nigeria this year, the military official noted.

Onyeuko said several women and children, including two of the Chibok School girls abducted on April 14, 2014, were rescued by the troops at Aulari, a town in the northern state of Borno, within the period of the military operations.

All rescued civilians and recovered items were handed over to the relevant authorities, while surrendered Boko Haram and ISWAP militants, and their families were profiled and handed over to the appropriate government agencies for further action, he added.

Boko Haram has been collaborating with its sister group, the ISWAP, to establish an Islamist state in northeast Nigeria. The terrorist groups have also extended their attacks to other countries in the Lake Chad Basin.