Nigerian army kills 15 fighters, including two ISWAP leaders
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Vanguard
A Nigerian army air strike killed 15 Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters, including two commanders, in Kerenoa, Borno State. The operation also destroyed a cache of improvised explosive devices; it was conducted on 28 October after intelligence about the groups’ activities, according to the Nigerian army.
The Nigerian army killed 15 fighters in an air strike carried out in Kerenoa, in Marte Local Government Area, Borno State, including Abu Musanna and Hassan Abu Huraira, two leaders of ISWAP, the Islamic State West Africa jihadist group. The operation was conducted by the forces of Operation Hadin Kai, according to a statement by Captain Mohammed Goni, the information officer of the North-East Joint Task Force, published on Thursday.
The strike was carried out at around 9.20pm on 28 October after intelligence about fighter movements. The aircraft initially followed two men on motorcycles to a makeshift structure before spotting further movement around the site. The army said the strikes also destroyed a cache of improvised explosive devices and that a secondary fire indicated the possible presence of a logistics depot. Several fighters were seriously wounded, including the ISWAP wali in the area, who was said in the statement to be in critical condition.
The operation came after the strike that killed 44 fighters in Borno, announced on 29 October, and several operations carried out by the Nigerian army in the north-east during the week. It is also part of the Operation Hadin Kai air campaign aimed at reducing the capabilities of jihadist groups and dismantling their networks, according to Captain Mohammed Goni.
