Senior Islamic State-linked commander killed - Nigeria

The Nigerian military says a senior jihadist commander and 19 other fighters linked to the Islamic State group have been killed during a multi-national operation in the north-east of the country.

The BBC has been unable to independently verify this news.

According to the military, Abubakar Dan-Buduma and the other fighters were killed in a co-ordinated attack not far from the shores of Lake Chad, involving fighter jets from neighbouring Niger and ground troops.

In recent months the Islamic State West Africa Province (Iswap) militant group has grown in strength.

It has been taken control of parts of rural north-east Nigeria – imposing taxes in areas that used to be held by rival Islamist group Boko Haram.

The Nigerian military has been on the offensive in recent months but it has also had to deal with banditry in the north-west and attacks blamed on secessionists in the south-east.