Overview

• The joint police-military operation launched Wednesday killed at least 30 gunmen and repelled a coordinated raid on multiple villages in northwest Nigeria.
• Three police officers and two soldiers were killed in the counter-attack against attackers who stormed villages Tuesday evening.
• Bandit groups in the region, often composed of former herders, have intensified raids and kidnappings for ransom to fund their activities.
• Limited security presence and vast terrain in the mineral-rich northwest have enabled dozens of armed gangs to carry out mass killings and roadside attacks.
• Nigeria continues simultaneous counterinsurgency efforts in the northeast, where Boko Haram and ISWAP have killed some 35,000 civilians and displaced over 2 million.