Nigeria: 10 soldiers killed by jihadists in the northeast

Ten Nigerian soldiers were killed by jihadists in two separate incidents in northeastern Nigeria on Monday, AFP learned from security sources. Jihadists killed eight soldiers in the attack on a military convoy near the village of Kumulla, 40 km from the regional capital of Borno state, Maiduguri, the sources said on condition of anonymity.

Read also: Release of an American kidnapped more than a year in Nigeria

A few hours after the attack, two other soldiers were killed during a clash between an army patrol and a group of jihadists in the village of Kolore, 120 km from Maiduguri, the sources said. A week ago, 35 Nigerian soldiers were killed in the same region, and 30 were missing. Nigerian military says northeastern Nigeria is no longer plagued by violence from jihadist groups, however dozens if not hundreds of soldiers have been killed in recent years in similar attacks by the Islamic State group in Africa from the West (Iswap).

This dissident faction of the jihadist group of Boko Haram has been particularly active since its creation in August 2016 and also conducts regular raids against employees of local and international NGOs. More than 36,000 people have been killed since 2009 in violence in the region and more than two million people still cannot return to their homes.