Deadly Anti-Terrorist Offensive in Lake Chad Results in the Death of 70 Jihadists, While Suicide Bombings Claim Lives Near Gwoza

A military offensive in the area surrounding Lake Chad, which borders Nigeria, Cameroon, and Chad, has resulted in the deaths of 70 jihadists, according to the Multinational Joint Task Force (MJTF), made up of troops from Benin, Cameroon, Nigeria, Niger, and Chad. The attacks were led by the Chadian army, which conducted air, sea, and ground operations in the region. On Sunday, the Chadian army reported that it had killed approximately 70 terrorists.

Following intense bombardments by the MJTF on the Nigerian shore of the lake, the terrorists fled across the border into Chad. In response to this attack on its territory, Chadian troops pursued them and ultimately killed 70 of them. However, MJTF spokesman Abubakar Abdullahi did not specify which terrorist group they belonged to.

On the same day as these attacks in Nigeria and Chad, there were also suicide bombings in Gwoza near the border with Cameroon that claimed 32 civilian lives. Nigerian President Bola Tinubu noted that these attacks were a clear indication of increased pressure on terrorist groups in the region and a reflection of successes achieved by counter-terrorism operations carried out by security forces.

In recent weeks, Nigeria’s military has intensified airstrikes against terrorist camps around Lake Chad. These actions have resulted in deadly attacks on fishermen living nearby. Initially established to combat cross-border crime in the region, MJTF has since shifted its focus to counter-terrorism operations due to rising jihadist threats over time. Boko Haram first emerged in northeastern Nigeria in 2009 before spreading into other Islamist terrorist groups across West Africa. Over several years of violence perpetrated by these groups