Nigerian airstrike near Cameroon border kills 35
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) said it killed at least 35 armed fighters in an airstrike near the Cameroon border. It carried out the strike after receiving intelligence that an attack was being planned on the army. The location was in the Kumshe area of Borno state, which is close to the Cameroon border. The Qatar-based media outlet Al Jazeera reported this information in a report on Sunday (August 24). NAF spokesman Ehimen Ejodame said that contact with ground troops had been re-established after the operation. They said the situation around their position was now under control. Boko Haram and its rival group ISIL (ICC) West Africa Province (ISWAP) have recently increased their attacks in Nigeria and surrounding regions. The armed groups have been attacking military bases one after another in the northeast of the country, killing soldiers and seizing weapons. In addition to Nigeria, the violence has also spread to the border areas of neighboring countries Cameroon, Chad and Niger. Although the armed conflict, which has been going on for about 16 years, has subsided somewhat since 2015, the number of attacks has started to increase again since the beginning of this year. According to UN data, more than 35,000 civilians have been killed in the conflict so far and more than 2 million people have been forced to flee their homes. In this context, the US State Department has approved the sale of $ 346 million in arms to Nigeria, which is now awaiting approval by Congress. These weapons include bombs, rockets and various warheads. The US believes that by supplying these weapons, Nigeria will be able to play a more effective role in counter-terrorism operations and be able to deal with future threats.
