The African nation’s Ministry of Defense further stated that military operations remain ongoing, with additional airstrikes successfully executed in the general area of ​​Metele.

Meanwhile, according to a statement from the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM)—which participated in the operation in coordination with the Nigerian military—an Islamist base in the country’s northeast was bombed, resulting in the neutralization of around twenty militants.

Separately, the Nigerian Police confirmed that at least 17 officers from its ranks were killed in an attack perpetrated by Islamist groups on May 8 at an Army Special Forces school in Yobe State, also located in the country’s northeast.

Although no group has claimed responsibility for the attack, investigations point to the regional affiliate of the Islamic State in West Africa (ISWAP) as the perpetrator, the report noted.

Several Islamist groups operate in northern Nigeria—Africa’s most populous nation—including Boko Haram, its regional affiliate the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), and the group known as Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin; these groups engage in kidnappings and armed attacks against villages, schools, and Christian churches.

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