At least 80 Islamist rebels killed by army in Nigeria

Nigerian troops have around 80 Islamist rebels killed. The military used air support to repel an attack by militants on a military base in the northeastern state of Borno, the army said on Wednesday.

At least 80 Islamist fighters were killed, including high-ranking commanders. The attack followed several suicide bombings on Monday in Borno’s capital Maiduguri, leaving 23 dead and more than 100 injured.

Fighters from the Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) groups have increased their attacks on military bases in Borno in recent weeks. Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa and a major oil producer. It is deeply divided between the predominantly Muslim north and the Christian south. Borno state in the northeast is considered the center of the 17-year-old Islamist insurgency in Nigeria.

Since 2009, Boko Haram has been fighting violently to establish an Islamic theocracy in the northeast of the country. Nigeria has been under additional pressure since US President Trump accused the government last year of failing to adequately protect Christians.

By Editor