ABUJA/ISTANBUL

Nigerian forces neutralized eight members of the Boko Haram terrorist organization early Wednesday in an operation in northeastern Borno state.

The commander of Operation Hadin Kai, Reuben Kovangiya, said in a written announcement that security forces had thwarted a Boko Haram attack in the Gwoza area of Borno.

Following the foiled attack, Kovangiya said security forces launched an operation against the terrorists, resulting in the killing of eight Boko Haram members.

Boko Haram, which has been active in Nigeria since the early 2000s, has been responsible for mass terrorist attacks since 2009, claiming tens of thousands of lives.

Since 2015, the group has also carried out attacks in neighboring countries Cameroon, Chad and Niger.

Preliminary figures indicate that around 2,000 people have been killed in the group’s attacks in the Lake Chad Basin.

Due to terrorist attacks and ongoing conflict, hundreds of thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes in the region.