Military authorities in Nigeria have confirmed the death of 22 soldiers during an operation in the country’s North-East region.

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) disclosed that the casualties occurred during a clearance operation targeting a notorious terrorist stronghold known as the Timbuktu Triangle.

“During the course of the operations, troops regrettably recorded 22 killed-in-action casualties, with several others wounded,” said Edward Buba, Director of Defence Media Operations, in a statement on Sunday.

The operation, which began on 16 January 2025, aimed to dismantle the terrorist presence in the area through a three-pronged approach.

Despite the losses, Buba reported significant success, stating that over 70 terrorists, including key commanders, were killed.

“Troops engaged in several encounters with the terrorists during the clearance operations, resulting in the neutralisation of over 70 terrorist combatants, including three notable commanders: Talha (Terrorist Special Forces Commander), Mallam Umar (Operations Commander), and Abu Yazeed (Brigade Commander),” he explained.

The DHQ further revealed that the terrorists deployed various tactics, including improvised explosive devices (IEDs), person-borne IEDs (suicide bombers), and vehicle-borne IEDs, in an attempt to repel the troops. However, the troops successfully countered these tactics and shot down several amateur drones used by the terrorists.

This latest incident follows a July attack where seven soldiers were killed after their vehicle struck a landmine in a village controlled by the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).

The 15-year insurgency in Nigeria’s northeast has resulted in over 40,000 deaths and displaced approximately two million people. The violence has also spread to neighbouring countries, including Niger, Chad, and Cameroon, prompting the formation of a regional task force to combat the militants.