ABUJA, Nigeria

Two camps of armed gangs in northwestern Nigeria have been destroyed in an air raid, a local official said Thursday.  

Defense Ministry spokesman John Enenche told reporters that the army carried out airstrikes on the camps in Zamfara state.

Many armed gang members were killed, he said, adding guns, vehicles and ammunition were also seized during the operation.

The country’s northwest sees occasional clashes between the herder Fulani people -- one of the largest ethnic groups widely dispersed across West Africa -- and neighboring sedentary tribes.

The Fulani, who migrated to the south of the country to graze their animals, claim that farmers try to steal their animals and attack their people.

Armed groups sometimes take advantage of these conflicts and organize attacks.

Nearly 2,000 people have lost their lives in the region while thousands of others have been displaced.

Following the signing of “cessation of hostilities” agreements by the different groups in August 2019, over 2,000 members laid down their weapons.

*Writing by Sena Guler