Nigerian troops repel assault on military facility, kill 12 suspected terrorists
Abuja, May 24
At least 12 suspected terrorists were killed in a gunfight with Nigerian troops after they attempted to attack a military facility in the northeastern state of Borno, the army has said.
In a statement on Saturday (local time), Nigerian Army spokesperson Sani Uba said the suspected terrorists tried to infiltrate a military position in Kirawa town along the Nigeria-Cameroon border early Friday, but were repelled by troops of the 153 Task Force Battalion and allied forces.
According to Uba, government troops responded with heavy fire, forcing the attackers to retreat toward the Cameroon border area.
The military said several attackers escaped with possible gunshot wounds.
Troops also recovered weapons and ammunition, including AK-47 rifles, rocket-propelled grenade launchers and a machine gun, the statement said.
Earlier on May 19, the military announced that a total of 175 Islamic State fighters and top commanders had been killed by Nigerian troops and US forces in recent combined counter-terrorism operations in the northeastern part of Nigeria.
In a statement, military spokesman Samaila Uba said the coordinated air and ground strikes, which commenced over the weekend, had delivered a major blow to the terrorist group's operational capacity, destroying multiple IS checkpoints, weapons caches, logistics hubs, military equipment and financial networks sustaining their activities.
Uba said several high-profile IS commanders were among those killed, including Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, described as the group's second-in-command globally.
According to him, al-Minuki played a central role in IS external operations, including coordination of terrorist financing, recruitment, logistics and attack planning targeting civilians. His elimination is expected to severely disrupt the terrorist group's command structure, operational coordination and external attack networks, Uba explained.
He identified other key terrorist figures killed during the operations, including Abd-al Wahhab, described as a senior leader of the Islamic State West Africa Province responsible for coordinating attacks and propaganda; Abu Musa al-Mangawi, another senior member; and Abu al-Muthanna al-Muhajir, a senior media production operative.
The military spokesman said the successes further underscored the sustained efforts of the armed forces of Nigeria in tracking and eliminating terrorist elements across the country, adding that the joint operations would be continued to dismantle all terrorist networks threatening national and regional security.
The recent operations were conducted under a recently established counter-terrorism and intelligence-sharing partnership between Nigeria and the United States aimed at dismantling terrorist networks operating in the region.
— IANS
Reader Comments
As someone from India where we face similar threats from terror groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed, I feel for Nigeria. But 175 IS fighters killed is a big number. Hope our forces can learn from their combined air-ground tactics. Accountability is key though - need to ensure no civilian collateral damage. 🙏
Nigeria should be careful about these US partnerships. In India, we've seen drone strikes create more problems than they solve. Long-term requires addressing root causes - poverty, unemployment. But for now, peace is peace. Eliminating IS second-in-command is no small feat.
This is serious stuff. India knows the pain of terrorism too well - Pulwama, Mumbai attacks. But killing leaders only works if you also dismantle recruitment. These extremist groups thrive on ideology. Hope Nigeria also invests in education and deradicalization programs. 🤞
Great to see African nations standing up to terror. India should offer counter-terrorism support to Nigeria - we have expertise from Kashmir operations. But also need to question the arms trade: Who supplies weapons to these terrorist groups? UN needs to track black market arms. 🎯
Mixed feelings. While I appreciate the military success, every dead soldier on both sides is someone's family member. India's experience shows that pure military solutions don't bring lasting peace. The US-Nigeria partnership needs transparency. Still, salute to Nigerian troops for their courage. 🇮🇳🤝🇳🇬
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