Militant Attack on Nigerian Military School Kills 17 Police Trainees

Nigeria Info

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At least 17 police officers were killed in Nigeria’s northeastern Yobe state after suspected Islamist militants attacked a specialised military training school that also provides instruction for police personnel, authorities said late on Saturday.

Nigeria has been battling an Islamist insurgency in its northeast for more than 18 years, with militant groups continuing to carry out attacks across the region.

According to police spokesman Anthony Okon Placid, the officers were killed on Friday during an assault on the Nigerian Army Special Forces School in Buni Yadi, located in Yobe state.

In a separate area in the Lake Chad Basin region, the second-in-command of Islamic State was killed during a joint operation conducted by U.S. and Nigerian forces early on Saturday.

U.S. President Donald Trump and Nigerian counterpart Bola Ahmed Tinubu both confirmed the operation, describing it as a significant blow to the militant group’s leadership.

“The officers, who were undergoing specialised operational training at the institution, lost their lives when the militants launched a coordinated ‌attack ⁠on the facility from multiple directions,” Placid said.

He said several soldiers were also killed, though he did not give a figure for military casualties.

The violence in northeastern Nigeria began with the uprising launched by Boko Haram in 2009. The group later fragmented, leading to the emergence of its offshoot, Islamic State West Africa Province, which has since intensified attacks targeting military installations and security personnel across the region.

Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, whose death was confirmed by Donald Trump and Bola Ahmed Tinubu following a joint U.S.-Nigerian operation, was described as a senior commander within ISWAP.

In response to the prolonged insurgency, the Nigerian government has established specialised military institutions, including the training academy targeted in the recent attack, in an effort to strengthen counterterrorism capabilities and improve security operations in the northeast.

Source: Reuters



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