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The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) announced it has killed at least 35 militants in precision airstrikes near the country’s border with Cameroon, in a targeted operation responding to intelligence of an imminent assault on ground troops in Borno State’s Kumshe region.
The strikes, carried out Saturday (23 August), are part of a broader military push against resurgent attacks from Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), both of which have ramped up violence in Nigeria’s northeast. The military says communication was reestablished with troops following the strikes, stabilizing the area. This year alone, the Nigerian military claims to have killed nearly 600 insurgents. However, rights groups and security analysts warn that violence is surging once again after a period of relative calm. The United Nations estimates the conflict has killed over 35,000 people and displaced more than 2 million since 2009.
The airstrikes come just days after the United States approved a $346 million arms sale to the West African country designed to “improve Nigeria’s capability to meet current and future threats through operations against terrorist organizations,” the U.S. State Department said. Meanwhile, growing criticism at home suggests the country is facing “war-time levels of slaughter,” with calls for stronger leadership and accountability. The military also reported operations against armed bandits in Katsina State, rescuing 76 hostages, highlighting Nigeria’s complex web of security challenges beyond the northeast insurgency.
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