The Nigerian army said it had eliminated a notorious terrorist leader, Bello Turji, in an airstrike carried out by the air component of Operation Fasan Yama in Sokoto State.
The strike, which targeted an area near Tunfa Primary School in Isa Local Government Area, aimed to disrupt terrorist networks operating in the region.
According to the military, a key militant named Alku, who had traveled from neighboring Niger for a meeting, was also killed along with several armed men and yet-to-be-identified commanders.
This operation forms part of a broader military campaign to weaken terrorist groups in Nigeria’s northwest.
The emergence of a jihadist faction known as Lakurawa—reportedly unaffiliated with al-Qaeda or Islamic State—has added to security concerns in Sokoto due to its increasing boldness and destabilizing activities.
Military authorities emphasized that the airstrikes are part of sustained efforts to dismantle criminal networks and restore peace to the region, which has been experiencing a surge in militant violence.
