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Nigerian Military Kills Militants in Airstrike in Borno State

Nigerian Military Kills Militants in Airstrike in Borno State

(Bloomberg) -- Nigeria’s air force bombarded suspected insurgent targets in northern Borno state, killing militants belonging to the Islamic State of West Africa Province, the army said.

The attack on Feb. 2 followed intelligence reports showing the presence of the fighters and their equipment in the area, Ibikunle Daramola, a spokesman for the Nigerian Air Force, said in an emailed statement.

Boko Haram, a faction of which is allied to Islamic State’s so-called West Africa Province, has waged a decade-long campaign of violence to impose its version of Shariah law on Africa’s most-populous country, with the northeast bearing the brunt.

Nigerian troops also on Monday repelled an attempted attack by Boko Haram fighters in Kanama, in Yobe state, killing an unspecified number of the militants, Njoka Irabor, an army spokesman, said in separate statement.

--With assistance from Emele Onu.

To contact the reporter on this story: Michael Olukayode in Maiduguri at molugbode1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Antony Sguazzin at asguazzin@bloomberg.net, Paul Richardson, Ana Monteiro

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