The Nigerian army announced it had killed more than 50 Boko Haram fighters, according to a statement released Thursday by army spokesman Sani Uba. This response follows coordinated drone attacks by the jihadists on military bases in the northeastern states of Borno and Yobe early Thursday morning.

According to the spokesperson, the assailants launched simultaneous attacks from northern Cameroon and the village of Katarko, in Yobe State. The army's operation, combining ground and air assaults, successfully defeated the insurgents. Ground forces, supported by air assets, continue to track down "more than 70 wounded fighters" in "close coordination."

The renewed violence comes shortly after a deadly attack by Boko Haram. The previous month, the group killed at least 60 people in a nighttime raid on the village of Darul Jamal in northeastern Nigeria.

Background to the insurrection

Boko Haram, a jihadist movement born in Nigeria, began its insurgency in 2009. Its goal is to combat Western education and impose a radical version of Sharia (Islamic law).

The conflict, which has lasted for more than a decade, has spread to neighboring countries in northern Nigeria, such as Niger, causing a major humanitarian crisis. According to the United Nations, it has resulted in the deaths of approximately 35,000 civilians and the displacement of more than 2 million people.

The group fragmented into two main factions following the death of its long-time leader, Abubakar Shekau, in 2021. One of these, the Islamic State-affiliated Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), is particularly known for targeting military positions.

The United States recently approved a potential $346 million arms sale to Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, to help strengthen its security.