Army kills nine key members of ISIS-backed terrorists

Those killed, the army said, included Abu Hurayra al-Barnawi, Ali al-Ghalam al-Kajiri, Abu Musab Muhammed Mustafa al-Maiduguri and Abu Abdullah Ali al-Barnawi.

Others were Abu Musa al-Camerooni, Ahmed al-Muhajir, Abu Ali al-Bamawi, Abu Khubayb bin Ahmed al-Barnawi and Abu al-Qa’qa’ al-Maiduguri.

“The annihilation of members of its media team further confirms that the NA has decimated the group and they no longer have freedom of action,” Nigerian Army said on Twitter.

The terrorists have repeatedly claimed to have crumbled the Nigerian troops in the northern part of the country.

In May, the terrorists claimed responsibilities of not less than 12 attacks in different northeastern states, with most of them localised in in Borno State.

56 Nigerian troops, ten Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) and three The Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) were killed in the attacks

Nigeria and its neighbouring countries have struck back, chasing the militants out of villages they had seized.

Boko Haram has ravaged across northern Nigeria for years, killing thousands of civilians, burning entire villages and kidnapping hundreds of women and girls.

The military campaign has been so effective, according to Nigeria’s president, Muhammadu Buhari, that he declared the group “technically” defeated multiple times.

That claimed was re-echoed by the army’s statement on Monday.