Dozens of Boko Haram terrorists killed in Nigerian airstrike

By Adam Abu-bashal and Gizem Nisa Demir

ABUJA/ISTANBUL (AA) - Dozens of Boko Haram terrorists were killed Saturday in a Nigerian airstrike targeting the group's positions in the northeastern state of Borno, according to the Nigerian Air Force (NAF).

NAF spokesperson Ehimen Ejodame said in a statement that the operation was carried out in the Yaganari area.

Ejodame said dozens of terrorists were killed, while others fled with injuries.

He said terror hideouts were destroyed in the airstrike, and that improvised explosive devices (IEDs), along with a large cache of weapons and ammunition, were seized during the operation.

"Before the targets were struck, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions confirmed the presence of terrorist structures and logistics hubs," said Ejodame.

He described the operation as another major success in the ongoing counterterrorism campaign, saying it further weakened the terrorists' ability to regroup and move freely.

Boko Haram has been active in Nigeria since the early 2000s. Tens of thousands of people have been killed in mass terror attacks carried out by the group since 2009.

Since 2015, the group has also launched attacks in the neighboring countries of Cameroon, Chad and Niger. At least 2,000 people have been killed in Boko Haram attacks across the Lake Chad Basin.

Hundreds of thousands of people have also been displaced by terror attacks and violence in the region.