Nigerian troops kill Boko Haram commander, 10 fighters in country’s northeast

By Adam Abu-bashal

ABUJA, Nigeria (AA) - The Nigerian army said Sunday that its forces killed a Boko Haram commander and 10 other members of the terrorist group during an operation in the country’s northeast.

In a statement, the army said its troops carried out the operation in the Sambisa Forest located in Borno state.

It identified the leader killed as Abu Khalid, who was second-in-command of Boko Haram in the Sambisa Forest. He was described as a key figure within the terrorist group who was responsible for coordinating operations and logistics along the Sambisa axis.

No casualties were reported among Nigerian troops, the statement added, noting that counterterrorism operations are continuing in forested areas across the northeast.

Boko Haram has been active in Nigeria since the early 2000s, with tens of thousands killed in attacks since 2009.

Since 2015, the group has also carried out attacks in neighboring Cameroon, Chad and Niger, killing at least 2,000 people across the Lake Chad Basin, according to authorities.

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