Nigerian troops killed 11 Islamic State West Africa Province fighters in two separate clashes in the country's troubled northeast on Sunday, the military said on Tuesday.

The operations took place on September 15 along the Baga-Cross Kauwa road in Borno State and in Umbo village in Adamawa State's Madagali area.

Troops on patrol near Garin Giwa in Kukawa were ambushed by ISWAP fighters who detonated an improvised explosive device and opened fire. Nigerian forces repelled the attack and killed eight militants.

Those killed included two field commanders known as Munzirs and another leader called a Qaid, identified as Modu Dogo Munzir of Dogon Chukun, an unidentified Munzir, and Abu Aisha Qaid of Tumbun Mota.

"The troops' swift response forced the terrorists to retreat," the military said in a statement.

Several militants fled with gunshot wounds. Troops recovered 14 motorcycles abandoned during the retreat.

In a separate operation in Adamawa State, troops supported by local vigilantes and hunters killed three more militants and seized weapons and communication equipment.

No Nigerian forces were killed or wounded in either operation.

The military seized assault rifles, ammunition, anti-aircraft equipment and other supplies during both operations.

The Islamic State West Africa Province has escalated its insurgency since January 2025, launching at least twelve coordinated attacks on military bases and infrastructure across Borno State over the last three months.

ISWAP has successfully overrun 15 military bases so far this year – with one being sacked twice.

The group operates with approximately 3,500 to 5,000 fighters. Between July 2024 and July 2025, it led all IS "provinces" worldwide with 445 claimed attacks and 1,552 reported casualties.

The insurgency has exposed weaknesses in Nigeria's "super camp" strategy. The military consolidated smaller outposts into larger bases in 2019 to counter extremist threats.

While intended to strengthen defenses, the strategy has instead left vast rural areas exposed and created lucrative targets that insurgents have repeatedly exploited.

According to the National Human Rights Commission, at least 2,266 people were killed by bandits or insurgents in Nigeria during the first half of 2025 – surpassing the total number of such deaths in all of 2024.

Nigeria has battled Boko Haram and its splinter group ISWAP for over a decade. The conflict has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions across the Lake Chad region.

The violence has created a humanitarian emergency. More than 7.8 million people require urgent assistance, according to the United Nations.

ISWAP split from Boko Haram in 2016 over strategic differences. The group has evolved its tactics this year, using armed drones and sophisticated weapons.

A recent assault on a military base in Wajikoro in north-eastern Borno state began with the use of four drones armed with grenades.

The military said Tuesday's operations demonstrate its commitment to degrading insurgent capabilities and restoring peace to affected communities.