By Camillus Eboh and Ahmed Kingimi
ABUJA (Reuters) -Nigeria’s air force killed more than 15 Islamist militia fighters in an airstrike on their hideout around the Sambisa forest in the northeastern Borno state, a spokesperson said on Thursday.
Nigeria has faced a 16-year Islamist insurgency in the northeast led by Boko Haram and its offshoot ISWAP, causing mass casualties, displacement and a deepening humanitarian crisis.
Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame said the operation, carried out on September 3, targeted fighters and commanders linked to recent attacks. The strike followed intelligence and surveillance that confirmed militant activity in the area, he said.
Ejodame said the airstrike destroyed key facilities used by the insurgents. He did not name the group, but the Sambisa area is a known hub for Boko Haram and ISWAP.
Nigeria’s air force says it has killed 592 armed insurgents in Borno over the past eight months, following intensified airstrikes.
Separately, troops killed 13 Boko Haram fighters after repelling an ambush on a military convoy in Borno, the army said. The attack occurred on Wednesday as soldiers escorted humanitarian trucks along the Gubio-Damasak road.
The insurgents detonated two improvised explosive devices and opened fire, but troops returned fire, killing 13 and forcing others to flee. One soldier was wounded and two trucks burned in the clash, the army said in a statement.
(Reporting by Camillus Eboh; writing by Elisha Bala-Gbogbo; Editing by Alex Richardson)
