ABUJA, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Nigerian troops killed at least 48 suspected members of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) after repelling two attacks on military positions in the northeastern states of Borno and Yobe, the military said Friday.
Mohammed Goni, spokesman for the military-led joint task force for Operation Hadin Kai in the northeast, said in a statement that military positions in Bitta, a community in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State, and Buni Yadi in Yobe State came under attack late Thursday and early Friday, but the assaults were repelled.
In Borno, troops, supported by air assets, thwarted an attempted attack on their position in Bitta late Thursday through a coordinated response, Goni said.
In Yobe, troops launched a counter-offensive against a large concentration of ISWAP fighters who attacked Buni Yadi from Thursday night into the early hours of Friday, he added.
One soldier was killed and two others wounded during the counter-offensive. The troops also seized 52 firearms from the ISWAP fighters, he said.
The Nigerian military said it would sustain operations against terrorist groups to degrade their operational capabilities and weaken their ability to recruit members, spread propaganda and coordinate attacks.
ISWAP has been collaborating with Boko Haram in an attempt to establish an Islamist state in northeastern Nigeria. The groups have also extended their attacks to other countries in the Lake Chad Basin. ■