The recent military offensive around Lake Chad, which borders Nigeria, Cameroon, and Chad, has resulted in the death of 70 jihadists as announced by the Multinational Joint Task Force (MJTF). The MJTF, consisting of troops from Benin, Cameroon, Nigeria, Niger, and Chad, have been involved in a series of attacks. The Chadian army conducted air, sea, and ground assaults in the area resulting in the deaths of approximately 70 jihadists. These individuals had fled to the Chadian side after being targeted by the MJTF.
The attacks led to the destruction of five camps, ammunition depots and eight vehicles rigged with explosives meant for suicide missions. The spokesman for the MJTF Abubakar Abdullahi did not disclose any specific terrorist group to which these jihadists belonged. The recent offensive was triggered by a series of suicide bombings in Nigerian town Gwoza where 32 civilians lost their lives. Nigerian President Bola Tinubu acknowledged that these attacks were a reflection of mounting pressure on terrorists and successes in weakening their capabilities.
Over the past fifteen years jihadist groups including Boko Haram have been a growing concern in the region prompting a shift towards counter-terrorism efforts. These violent extremist factions have resulted in at least 40 thousand deaths with approximately two million people being displaced in Nigeria alone.
