The troops of the Nigerian Army on Operation Lafiya Dole and of the Multi-National Joint Task Force have shot dead at least seven commanders of the Boko Haram insurgents in the Lake Chad region of Borno State, including the Islamic State trainer and a fighter from Mali.

The army said on Friday that the commanders were gunned down through “combined efforts of artillery and air bombardments of their suspected hideouts,” while identifying the commanders as Abba Mainok, Bukar Dunokaube, Abu kololo, Abor Kime, said to be of Arab origin and ISIS trainer, Mann Chari, Dawoud Abdoulaye from Mali and Abu Hamza.

According to the military, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Tukur Buratai, has sent a message to the commanders of the MNJTF and Lafiya Dole, asking them to sustain the momentum.

The acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col Sagir Musa, in a release, said, “The MNJTF and the armed forces, in their combined efforts of artillery and air bombardments of suspected hideouts of Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters at the Tumbus of Lake Chad region, neutralised many including key commanders.

“Reliable information coming out from the inner circles of the criminal group, indicates that no fewer than seven key commanders were wasted by the superior forces of the MNJTF.

“The neutralised commanders’ names may likely be nicknames. Nonetheless, efforts are ongoing to get more information on their true identities.”