ABUJA, Nigeria (BN24) — The Nigerian military says it has killed 35 jihadist fighters in a series of targeted airstrikes near the country’s northeastern border with Cameroon, part of an ongoing campaign to suppress Islamist insurgents and criminal gangs fueling one of Africa’s most persistent security crises.

In a statement released Sunday, military officials said the strikes were conducted in four separate locations to prevent an imminent jihadist assault on ground troops operating in the region. The strikes reportedly destroyed camps and disrupted enemy movements, although the military provided no visual confirmation of casualties.

Nigeria has been grappling with a deadly insurgency for more than a decade, led by jihadist groups including Boko Haram and its splinter faction, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). According to the United Nations, more than 35,000 people have been killed and over two million displaced since the insurgency began in 2009.

The latest operation comes amid rising national concern over the scale of violence across the country. On Saturday, a coalition of prominent Nigerians—including former ministers, business leaders, and civil society figures—issued a joint statement warning that parts of the country are suffering from “war-time levels of slaughter,” despite the absence of a formal state of war.

The group cited a recent Amnesty International report claiming that at least 10,217 people have been killed since President Bola Tinubu assumed office two years ago. They called for the establishment of a Presidential Task Force with emergency powers to tackle the country’s overlapping conflicts.

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF), which conducted the latest round of strikes, reiterated its commitment to supporting ground operations aimed at dismantling jihadist strongholds in the northeast. Last week, the military claimed it had eliminated nearly 600 militants in the region over the past eight months, though independent verification remains elusive.

In addition to jihadist violence, Nigeria faces mounting threats from armed criminal gangs—commonly referred to as “bandits”—particularly in the northwestern states of Katsina and Zamfara. These groups are responsible for mass abductions, extortion, and deadly raids on rural communities.

Over the weekend, military aircraft were deployed in Katsina, where officials say dozens of bandits were targeted in an offensive that led to the rescue of 76 hostages, including women and children. However, authorities confirmed that one child died during the rescue operation.

The raid followed a brutal assault last week in the village of Unguwan Mantau, where gunmen stormed a mosque and surrounding homes, killing at least 50 people and abducting around 60 others. Officials say some of those taken were among those rescued during the weekend’s military operation.

The security situation remains dire in the region. According to the South Africa-based Institute for Security Studies, at least 15 jihadist attacks have been recorded this year in border areas near Cameroon and Niger. The group notes that jihadists have begun using modified commercial drones to strike army positions and hinder reinforcements.

International support continues to grow. Earlier this month, the U.S. State Department approved a $346 million arms sale to Nigeria, aimed at bolstering the country’s ability to confront the increasingly complex security threats it faces.

As attacks by jihadist groups and criminal syndicates escalate, analysts warn that without urgent and coordinated action, Nigeria risks further destabilization, particularly in already volatile northern regions.

Credit: BBC