Nigerian soldiers have killed at least 20 terrorists during a counter-offensive in the northeastern State of Yobe, the military announced on Thursday, March 12.
The operation followed attacks on Monday that left at least 14 people dead, including 10 soldiers, in Borno and Yobe States, according to local civilian and military sources.
In a statement dated Wednesday and released on Thursday, regional military spokesperson Sani Uba said troops repelled coordinated terrorist assaults on a military base in Goniri, Yobe state, from late Monday into the early hours of Tuesday. He said more than 20 terrorists were killed in the fighting, including a senior commander identified as Abu Yusu, the Munzir of Dursula.
Uba added that several soldiers sustained injuries but did not provide details on the number affected.
A resident of the nearby village of Katarko earlier told AFP that attackers killed four troops and set fire to buildings and military vehicles in Goniri. The insurgency in northeastern Nigeria has claimed more than 40,000 lives and displaced about two million people, according to the United Nations.
Last week, seven soldiers and 11 civilians were killed when Boko Haram fighters attacked a military base and raided the nearby town of Ngoshe in Gwoza district near the Cameroon border, shooting and abducting residents. Nigeria has since intensified its counterterrorism operations against the militant group.