Nigeria: 2 top Boko Haram commanders killed

By Rafiu Ajakaye

LAGOS, Nigeria (AA) - Nigerian military on Sunday said two top Boko Haram commanders were killed in a military offensive in northeastern Borno state.

In a statement, the army said troops launched an offensive around Gumsuri and Gambori areas of the state, clearing and liberating some villages from the militants.

“Reports reaching Nigerian Army Headquarters confirmed that two high profile Boko Haram terrorist commanders named Abu Rajal and Tuja Sa’inna Banki were killed in the clearance operations,” the statement said.

“The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, commended the gallant troops and urged them to carry out further incursions and clearance operations to ensure that the remnants of the insurgents were completely wiped out,” it added.

Nigeria has been battling Boko Haram insurgency since 2009 when the group turned violent following the death of its former leader Mohamed Yusuf in police custody.

No fewer than 20,000 people have been killed, mostly civilians, while between 2-3 million have been displaced from their homes across the Lake Chad region.