Nigerian Military Claims Major Victory Over Jihadists Amid Ongoing Conflict

The Nigerian military reports significant successes against jihadist groups, emphasizing ongoing challenges with violence, displacement, and a well-organized response.

Nigeria’s military has reported the elimination of 35 jihadists in a series of air strikes launched near its northeastern borders with Cameroon. The operations were strategically designed to prevent an imminent assault on ground forces. Over a decade of conflict against various jihadist groups, alongside rampant criminal activity and kidnappings, has plagued the nation. In a recent outcry, a collective of influential Nigerians, including former officials and activists, decried what they see as "war-time levels of slaughter," despite Nigeria's official status of peace. This statement highlighted a stark Amnesty International report revealing more than 10,200 deaths attributed to violence since President Bola Tinubu assumed office two years ago. The group advocates for the establishment of a Presidential Task Force endowed with comprehensive powers to address escalating conflicts tied to extremist factions like Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (Iswap). The army also claimed to have neutralized nearly 600 militants in the region within the past eight months, although independent verification remains lacking.

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has pledged continued support to ground troops targeting the dismantling of jihadist strongholds in the northeast. The United Nations estimated more than 35,000 lives lost and two million individuals displaced through ongoing strife. Recently, the U.S. State Department approved a substantial $346 million arms sale to Nigeria aimed at quelling the unrest. According to the Institute for Security Studies, over 15 jihadist strikes have occurred in regions close to Nigeria's borders with Cameroon and Niger just this year, with militants increasingly utilizing modified drones against military positions. In separate operations, air strikes have been conducted against criminal gangs in northwestern Katsina state, resulting in the rescue of 76 kidnapping victims, although the operation saw the tragic loss of a child during rescue efforts. This action follows a brutal attack in the village of Unguwan Mantau, where attackers opened fire on worshippers and residents, resulting in at least 50 fatalities and numerous abductions. Katsina and the adjacent Zamfara state continue to experience severe impacts from the pervasive violent crime culture.