According to BBC, the Nigerian Air Force responded by killing 30 militants in a series of airstrikes after receiving reports of the raid. Residents of Darul Jamal had only recently returned to the village following years of displacement due to ongoing violence in the region.

Ehimen Ejodame, spokesperson for the Nigerian Air Force, stated that surveillance had revealed militants “fleeing northwards from the town towards nearby bushes” on the night of the attack. He further explained that in a series of precise and successive strikes, over 30 insurgents were neutralized.

The Nigerian military has ramped up its operations in the north-east this year due to continuous targeted attacks on its formations and installations. In April, Governor Zulum warned of Boko Haram’s resurgence after the group seized control of parts of the state in a series of attacks.

Borno has been at the heart of a 15-year insurgency by Boko Haram, which has displaced more than two million people and resulted in over 40,000 deaths. In 2015, the group controlled large areas of Borno state but was subsequently pushed back by military forces.

The fight against Boko Haram has faced additional challenges after neighboring Niger withdrew its troops from a regional force established to combat the jihadist group. Boko Haram gained international attention in April 2014 when it kidnapped more than 270 schoolgirls from Chibok, a town also located in Borno state.