Al-Qaeda Affiliated Militants Master Of Attacks On Nigerian Army

JAKARTA - A militant group affiliated with Al-Qaeda, Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), claimed responsibility for the attack that killed a soldier in Nigeria this week, the country's first known attack.

In a video posted on his Telegram channel on Thursday night, JNIM said it launched an attack on the state of Kwara, Nigeria, on Wednesday morning, killing a soldier and confiscating ammunition and cash.

Military sources confirmed that JNIM had attacked troops on patrol, killing one soldier.

Nigeria is battling an Islamist insurgency led by Boko Haram and the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) that has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced more than two million people.

Last week, the President of Tinubu Ball appointed new force commanders in a massive reshuffle of the country's military leadership, saying it was meant to strengthen national security.

On Thursday, without naming, Tinubu told new military leaders he was concerned about the emergence of new armed groups in the north-central, northwest, and parts of southern Nigeria.

"We must not allow these new threats to reproduce. We must be firm and proactive. Let's destroy these new snakes right in the head," said Tinubu.