Nigerian forces kill Boko Haram commander, ten fighters in night operation

PHOTO CAPTION: Illustrative photo — A Nigerian service member is seen in an undated photo posted to X/Twitter by @DefenseNigeria on Aug. 7, 2024.

ABUJA  -  The Nigerian army said on Sunday it had killed a top Boko Haram commander and 10 other militants during a night operation in northeastern Borno state.

The army identified the leader killed as Abu Khalid and said he was second-in-command of Boko Haram in the Sambisa Forest. 

"Abu Khalid was a key figure within the terrorist hierarchy, coordinating operations and logistics in the Sambisa axis," said the army statement.

It said no casualties were recorded among its own troops, and that they continued to conduct clearance operations across the Sambisa Forest, Mandara Mountains, Timbuktu Triangle and other known hideouts of Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in the North East region.

Nigeria has been battling Boko Haram and its splinter group ISWAP for over a decade in a conflict that has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions across the Lake Chad region.

 (Reporting by Tife Owolabi; Writing by Nellie Peyton; Editing by Alexandra Hudson // REUTERS)